Advonex International has opened a new facility in Elizabethtown-Kitley.
The new building, which was officially unveiled on September 6th, will be the future location of Advonex’s state-of-the-art production facility where they will create products for a global growing demand for sustainable, renewable materials. The company says they are a leader in the transition from an economy dependent on petroleum to one based on sustainability and biologically. The renewable ingredients manufactured in Elizabethtown-Kitley will be found in engine lubricants, surface coatings, cosmetics, inks, paints and many other products used by consumers every day.
A number of local politicians attended the event including MP Gord Brown, MPP Steve Clark, Warden Robin Jones and Elizabethtown-Kitley Mayor Jim Pickard. Dr. Chad Joshi, Advonex President and CEO, said he was excited that the St. Lawrence corridor was exploring the development of a regional bio-industrial cluster similar to the one found in Sarnia Lambton. The company expects their work to not only lower greenhouse gas emissions but also provide new employment in Eastern Ontario while creating additional revenue streams for local farmers.
Advonex’s Business Development Manager Michael Tkautz said by this time next year the facility would be operational; they would have doubled their work force and started exporting these renewable ingredients around the world. Dr. Joshi added the company plans to build manufacturing plants around the world within the next two to three years, and that Brockville was a possible destination.