Minister announces three EDGE companies

Charles J. Furey, Minister of Industry, Trade and Technology, announced three new EDGE companies today: Provincial Aviation Maintenance Services, Polar Seafoods and Wide Body RV Industries. Provincial Aviation Maintenance Services, a sister company of Provincial Airlines, has developed and designed in-house systems to support its major client, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, in fisheries surveillance. This company plans to draw on this capability and expertise to design, fabricate and equip other aircraft with its surveillance equipment. This company expects to hire 17 people as a result of receiving EDGE status.

Polar Seafoods, a company based in the Bay of Islands, has established a facility in Curling to bottle shrimp cocktail and a variety of other products including herring. The product will be produced for Vita Foods, a large U.S. distributor of smoked and bottled products. The research for this project was completed by the Centre for Fisheries Innovation and Memorial University. The company expects to employ 13 people in the first year.

Widebody RV Industries of Bishops Falls is the latest company to be designated with EDGE status in the central region of the province. Widebody RV Industries will manufacture recreational vehicles and fulfill the demand for "B" Class recreation vehicles. Relying on a strong worldwide dealer network and an efficient and experienced work team, this company will hire 29 people in its first year of operation.

Mr. Furey said that the EDGE program has provided tangible economic benefits in various forms. He said: "Polar Seafoods has worked with the Centre for Fisheries Innovation and Memorial University to carry out research for its EDGE proposal. Provincial Aviation Maintenance Services has utilized its expertise in carrying out surveillance work for the Canadian government to market their services to the rest of the world. EDGE has also meant that a Newfoundlander has returned to the province to set up Widebody RV Industries, contracting out close to 30 per cent of his work to local companies."

Mr. Furey provided an update on the EDGE program since it was passed in January 1995. He said: "The EDGE program is now two years old. To date, 91 formal applications have been received, 44 companies have been approved, representing $171 million dollars in potential new investment, and 1,400 potential new jobs. Seventy per cent of the companies that have been approved are from the manufacturing and processing sector."

1997 01 17

9:15 a.m.

All material copyright the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. No unauthorized copying or redeployment permitted. The Government assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of any material deployed on an unauthorized server.
Disclaimer/Copyright/Privacy Statement