Moncton Contractors Benefit from JDI Forest Products Investments
Watch video of over $6.3 million in contracts to date for 39 Moncton companies. Vimeo YouTube
Andy Gill of Fredericton is a New Brunswick Community College graduate. He works as a red seal sprinkler systems installer with B&G Sprinklers in Moncton. Today he’s working at Canada’s largest Pulp Mill Modernization project since 1993 - currently underway in Saint John.
"It's good to have steady work and JDI has been producing that," said Gill.
B&G Sprinklers is one of 39 suppliers from the Moncton region that have contracts with JDI's several mill modernization investments.
Suppliers from Moncton, Riverview, and Dieppe have secured work at the Pulp Mill modernization project in Saint John, the construction of a new JDI Research Lab in Sussex, the Grand Lake Timber Mill expansion in Chipman, and the construction of a new dry kiln at Kedgwick Sawmill. The projects are part of JDI's $513 million investment to strengthen the forest sector and sustain jobs in New Brunswick.
“For every dollar that is invested into these projects, there's a ripple effect throughout local communities," said Jim Jordan, Vice President of JDI Supply Chain. "The Moncton region is a good example with over $6.3 million worth of business to 39 local Moncton suppliers."
"I recently bought a house in Durham Bridge, and I love it there" said Gill. "The only reason I could have done that is because I have a job, and that's why these contracts are so important to me."
"We take pride in partnering with local suppliers that provide us with the goods and services we require to run our mills efficiently,” said Jordan. “In addition to the contracts and related jobs from these projects, we have over 1700 suppliers in over 200 communities supplying our forest products operations every year. We buy over $400 million a year in goods and services from these NB businesses - the majority of which are small enterprises of less than 20 people. We look forward to further reinvestment back into our forest products business that will enable local suppliers to benefit local communities."