A company that produces medical supplies has decided on London for its new manufacturing facility.
Officials from Medicom joined politicians and other dignitaries in London's Innovation Park for the ground breaking on Tuesday. The company, which makes personal protective equipment for the health care sector, will make nitrile gloves at the 120,000 square foot facility. Ontario's minister of government and consumer services says the plant will put the province in a better position in the event of a future pandemic.
"Building this nitrile glove manufacturing facility in London means we will be ready to respond to future emergencies without having to rely on uncertain foreign supply," Ross Romano said. “On top of protecting the safety of Ontarians, we’re growing our economy by supporting domestic businesses and creating hundreds of good manufacturing jobs for our workers."
It's expected that, once the plant is up and running, it will employ over 145 people. Construction is expected to be complete and production to begin by spring of 2024.
"Today marks the start of an important new chapter in Medicom's history," said company founder and CEO Ronald Rueben. "After opening a surgical mask and N95 respirator plant and announcing a new facility to produce raw materials for these PPE in Quebec, we are very proud to hit another milestone for nitrile gloves by expanding our Canadian production to the industrial engine of the country, Ontario. This move will help secure the supply of this critical medical resource for both Ontario and all Canadian hospitals."
According to its website, Medicom was founded in 1988 and is "one of the world’s leading manufacturers and distributors of high-quality, single-use and preventive infection control products for the medical, dental, government and industrial markets, laboratories and research centers, the animal health and health and wellness communities, and the retail trade."