Digby County shipyard promises 40 new jobs with help of government cash
The bustling A.F. Theriault & Son shipyard in Meteghan River, N.S., is launching a $6.65-million expansion — propelled by a healthy tailwind of federal and provincial government assistance.
The expansion will create another 40 "skilled manufacturing and engineering" jobs at the company. A.F. Theriault currently employs 120 people.
Located in western Nova Scotia, the 70-year family-owned business builds a wide range of vessels, including fishing boats, ferries, pilot boats, barges and patrol boats.
"Today is a good day for rural Nova Scotia," third generation CEO Gilles Theriault told several dozen workers, politicians and local dignitaries who assembled Wednesday at a shipyard for the funding announcement.
The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency is lending the company $2.3 million and the province will provide a $1.5-million rebate once the expansion is completed in three years.
Go big or go home
"Twenty-five years ago we knew we had to diversify or scale down to a much smaller operation. Scaling down would have had a negative impact on the local and regional economy. Instead we reinvested in infrastructure, research and development and human resources," Theriault said.
The company will double capacity by building a new marine railway and buying new equipment including software.
The expansion will enable it carry out refits on vessels over 1,500 tonnes.
"This is a very exciting time, to know the federal and provincial government are on our side," Theriault said. He said it makes him feel that rural Nova Scotia can thrive, including by hiring people from the Digby, Yarmouth and Clare areas.
"It makes us feel we can move forward to make our rural Nova Scotia, which we are in Meteghan River right now, thrive forward with hiring people from ... Digby, Yarmouth and Clare."
The company is the first recipient under a new provincial government Innovation Rebate Program. Expansions of between $2 million to $15 million are eligible for a rebate of up to 25 per cent of project costs.
