IROQUOIS – For the first time in more than a decade, manufacturing is returning to the former Caldwell Linen Mill building.
This return of manufacturing is also a return home to South Dundas for Quality Manufacturing, now in the process of setting up operations, which will be up and running by the end of March.
In existence for 20 years, Quality Manufacturing was originally located in Morrisburg along Allison Avenue, but re-located in 2015 to Ingleside to reduce occupancy costs.
Now almost five years later the company is back, bringing with them their 18 existing employees.
General manager Gordon Carvell said that with each move they have been able to grow the businesses product lines and that this new location, where they have 38,000 square feet of space, allows them more room to grow.
His expectation is to expand his workforce to 30 employees.
While he had other re-location options such as Cornwall, his consideration for his employees, most of whom live locally, was also factored into this decision.
“This move was best for everybody,” Carvell told The Leader.
“It’s really nice to see manufacturing returning to this building,” said South Dundas economic officer Rob Hunter.
“Welcome back to South Dundas,” said Mayor Steven Byvelds during a March 4th tour of the facility that Carvell provided for council and The Leader.
Quality Manufacturing, which is primarily a contract packaging company with injection molding and printing machines has a varied product line.
Its heritage line, which comes from Carvell’s Odonto days, includes manufacturing dental floss winders for Johnson & Johnson and Procter & Gamble.
Carvell explained that it’s quite a niche market as they are one of three companies in the world that make and sell the winding machines.
Another product line that comes with them from their Morrisburg days is the assembly and packaging of North safety glasses which is a Honeywell-owned company.
A newer line for Quality is the assembly and packaging of 3D glasses for Dolby and Disney.
These are the specialty glasses that are used at the Disney theme parks for their movie experience rides.
Now assembled and packaged in Iroquois, these glasses are shipped to Disney’s 12 worldwide parks including Florida and California.
Quality also has a hand in some familiar household brands including J-Cloth reusable towels and Tintex fabic dye.
The blue J-Cloth towels for Dollarama and other retailers will all be packaged in Iroquois by Quality Manufacturing.
Tintex is actually a Quality manufacturing-owned brand. The dye is made and packaged for distribution in-house.
Quality Manufacturing is making a number of improvements to the space to better meet the needs of the company and their employees.
The 262,000 square foot building has plenty of space available.
“Maybe we will just be the start of something,” said Carvell.
