Often overlooked on the mainland, the City of Delta boasts one of the fastest-growing industrial areas in the greater Vancouver region.
Innovation occurring in Delta has drawn the interest of Canadian government bodies, which are eager to support startups and firms developing solutions to environmental challenges.
“Delta is home to hard-working entrepreneurs that are leading the way in creating innovative new products to solve today’s environmental challenges,” says Carla Qualtrough, who function as Minister of Sport and Physical Activity and a Member of Parliament for Delta.
Qualtrough this month announced funding from the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada toward two Delta-based companies: Plascon Plastics and GridGear Solutions.
“The funding from PacifiCan will allow Plascon Plastics and GridGear Solutions to seize opportunity and realize their ambitions, further cementing Delta’s place as a leader in the growth of the B.C. economy,” Qualtrough stated.
A total of $1.63 million is being invested into the two companies to position them for further growth.
Innovating around post-consumer recycled materials such as used car tires and carpet fibres, Plascon will receive $1.2 million to expand its manufacturing capacity for sustainable plastic injection moulding, a process for producing parts by injecting molten plastic into a mould, as well as hire more staff.
The global plastic injection molding market was estimated at US$183B in 2022 and is expected to grow to US$266B by 2030.
Meanwhile GridGear, a producer of electricity sub-metering technology, will receive $400,000 to scale up production and commercialize their next-generation tech.
Sub-metering allows users to better understand their energy use and help them reduce energy consumption, according to the firm; studies have shown that installation of sub-metering tech in the multi-residential sector resulted in reduction of electricity use by 34% for non-electrically heated buildings and by 27% in electrically heated buildings.
“Our focus on new product development and innovation to help customers reduce their energy usage is our primary mission as an organization,” stated the company’s director of operations, Colton Gabara. “With the help of PacifiCan, we have expanded our innovation efforts and are excited to help new customers around the globe reduce their electricity usage to make for a brighter future.”
PacifiCan is a dedicated federal regional economic development agency for British Columbians that promotes growth in the province’s economy by supporting innovation.
“GridGear Solutions and Plascon Plastics are great examples of local companies who are building a cleaner, more sustainable future in B.C. and beyond,” stated Harjit S. Sajjan, the Minister responsible for PacifiCan.
Leave a Reply