$1M grant adds 60 jobs at Lakeside Plastics Ltd.

A $1 million investment from the federal government will help add 60 new jobs at Lakeside Plastics Ltd.

Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Navdeep Bains is at the Tecumseh manufacturer to announce the funds.

"We are committed to auto workers in this region, we're committed to the automotive sector and in particular we're committed to auto suppliers which are so important for many of the good quality jobs our government has been talking about," said Bains.

The company is one of 11 recipients in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia to benefit from the $41 million Strategic Innovation Fund aimed at supporting the development of safer vehicles that are more environmentally friendly.

"It will allow us to investigate materials and process improvements to reduce the weight of our components for … our automotive customers," explained vice president of engineering and program management Rudy Puplulin.

He added they are excited to receive the funding and eager to start the hiring process within the next six months.