A Manitoba-based soybean company east of Morris is receiving $167,000 in combined provincial and federal funding to increase the renewable content of its products.
EcoPoxy produces epoxies and coatings from bio-based ingredients such as soybean oil and other renewable materials, which are used for floor coatings, artwork, boat building, countertops, tables and many other applications.
The funding, provided through a five-year federal-provincial-territorial initiative called Growing Forward 2, will be used to purchase and install lab equipment to test product quality, and automated processing and packaging equipment, improving overall production levels by 80 percent and reducing packaging costs by 75 percent.
“The testing equipment will allow us to immediately test newly developed epoxy samples and get the results within 24 to 48 hours, instead of the current process which is at great cost and takes three to four weeks,” said Jack Maendel, CEO of EcoPoxy.
“The filling equipment will speed up our process to fulfil orders, which is currently being done by hand.”
EcoPoxy employs 15 people, but two new jobs are expected to be created as a result of the funding.
— With files from the Province of Manitoba
