On Wednesday, Huntingdon authorities finalized the sale of a large part of an industrial building on Dalhousie Street to the company Plombco; a transaction they regard as positive for the economy of the town.
Plombco, which already has a production plant for car wheel weights in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, has just purchased for 1.6 M the premises that it has rented since 2008. These premises represent 75% of the building formerly occupied by les Usines Huntingdon which closed its doors in 2004.
“Our premises in Valleyfield are 100% full, so all our future development will take place in Huntingdon,” said, Martin Lussier, President of Plombco. The facilities serve as a distribution centre and ensure the manufacturing of parts which are then assembled in Valleyfield.
The business has already invested 1 M in these new premises and will complete renovations over the coming months.
For the town of Huntingdon, the sale of this industrial space, acquired under the administration of Stéphane Gendron, is going to guarantee some 20 jobs and the possibility of future jobs. “The advantage is that it’s not a start up business, but an expanding one. We’re laying the ground for the years to come,” mentioned Colette Arsenault, Director General of the Corporation de développement économique de Huntingdon and Commissioner for Development.
Food processing
Food processing also represents good prospects for this Haut-Saint-Laurent hub. The company Maison Russet, a tenant in the premises of the former Cleyn & Tinker plant on route 202, employs some 120 workers and has plans to expand.
Mayor André Brunette referred to projects under negotiation with other agri-food sector businesses that could source their supplies from local producers.
The town is counting on the availability of its largely bilingual labour force, some 6 million square feet of industrial land, access to the railway and its drinking water which is available in quality and quantity.
Huntingdon has also seen renewed activity in recent months in the residential sector, with the construction of 32 rental units including some condominiums. “With a population of 2 800 citizens, that’s significant,” stated Colette Arsenault.
Huntingdon has come a long way in the nearly 10 years since the sudden closure of its six main plants and the loss of 700 jobs. In its 2015 annual report, the CDEH refers to the fact that 60 jobs were created and 210 retained. These results have convinced the town leaders that they are heading in the right direction.
Translated by Cathleen Johnston
