Government of Canada Supports Partnerships Between St. Lawrence College and Local Businesses

KINGSTON, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Nov. 9, 2011) - Thanks to new partnerships with St. Lawrence College, six businesses in southern Ontario will have an opportunity to bring innovative products to market in industries such as metal manufacturing, technology, food processing and security. Today, Gord Brown, Member of Parliament for Leeds-Grenville, on behalf of the Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), announced the agreements between the college and local small- and medium-sized businesses.

"Our government is investing in innovation to create jobs and help our small businesses grow," said MP Brown. "The agreements between St. Lawrence College and small businesses will allow them to work together on projects that will increase productivity and bring new products to market."

"We are pleased to have the opportunity to grow our applied research portfolio at the college," said Gord MacDougall, Senior Vice President of Advancement, Student and External Affairs at St. Lawrence College. "The projects funded by this FedDev Ontario contribution assist our faculty and students to work with regional industries, solve problems, help the businesses continue to grow and innovate, and enhance the educational experience for our students."

Last year, under the Applied Research and Commercialization Initiative, St. Lawrence College was approved for up to $154,993 from FedDev Ontario to partner with small- and medium-sized businesses on activities such as applied research, engineering design, technology development, product testing, and certification. The support provided will create new economic opportunities, help businesses in southern Ontario grow, and enable them to become even more innovative and competitive.

For more information on the Applied Research and Commercialization Initiative and St. Lawrence College's partners, please refer to the backgrounder.

Created in 2009, FedDev Ontario supports the southern Ontario economy by building on the region's strengths and creating opportunities for jobs and economic growth. The Agency has launched a number of initiatives to create a Southern Ontario Advantage and place the region in a strong position to compete in the global economy. These initiatives are designed to encourage partnerships and support projects that help the region's businesses and communities become more competitive, innovative and diversified. To learn more, please visit www.feddevontario.gc.ca or call 1-866-593-5505.

Backgrounder

Applied Research and Commercialization Initiative

The Applied Research and Commercialization Initiative addresses the unique research and innovation challenges faced by small- and medium-sized enterprises by helping post-secondary institutions to provide their applied research and development (R&D) and pre-commercialization expertise to businesses that do not have the internal capacity to undertake those activities.

FedDev Ontario is providing St. Lawrence College with up to $154,993 to partner with the following six small- and medium-sized enterprises on the following projects.

Black River Cheese Company (Milford)

Since 1901, Black River Cheese Company has been producing award-winning, fine artisan cheese in the heart of Prince Edward County. Proudly farmer-owned, this cheese house is dedicated to making superior cheese by hand, just as their founding fathers did 110 years ago, using only 100% pure milk and no modified milk ingredients or artificial preservatives. As a result of the growing demand for Black River Cheese products, the company is now working with St. Lawrence College in their ongoing effort to find ways to enhance their productivity. For more information, visit www.blackrivercheese.com.

MetalCraft Marine Inc. (Kingston)

MetalCraft Marine Inc. was created in 1987. With a solid background in yacht construction, the company was readily accepted in the commercial marketplace and quickly earned a good reputation with key government procurement agencies in the patrol and workboat market. It has continually grown throughout the 1990s and with its innovative design and construction techniques, it has carved a strong niche in the North American commercial boat industry. MetalCraft Marine is working with St. Lawrence College to enhance productivity in its manufacturing process. More information is available at www.metalcraftmarine.com.

Pan Chancho Bakery & Café (Kingston)

In March of 2002, Pan Chancho opened the doors to its second location. The heart of the business is the exceptional Old World style breads, made with the finest ingredients. What began with bread has become a thriving food culture with a retail food shop, a full-service licensed Café, catering service and wholesale supplier of artisanal bread. The growth continues as Pan Chancho partners with St. Lawrence College to develop a line of canned food products. More information is available at: www.panchancho.com.

Purifying Illumination (Cornwall)

Purifying Illumination is a technology start-up that is developing an LED lighting innovation to significantly increase the shelf life of produce and cut-flowers. Purifying Illumination is working with St. Lawrence College to accelerate the development, validation and commercialization of this product.

Sentry Security Systems Inc. (Kingston)

For over 12 years, Sentry Security Systems Inc., has been working in close partnership with a large client base, such as security dealers, government agencies, colleges and universities, who rely on Sentry as their partner for comprehensive, innovative and cost-effective video surveillance solutions. This approach has led them to being very well known in the marketplace and allowed them to develop products and solutions specifically designed to deliver results that meet or exceed their clients' expectations. Sentry Security Systems Inc. is working with St. Lawrence College to re-develop an in-house software solution that records, tracks and analyzes clients' hardware purchases, repairs and returns. More information is available at www.cctvsentry.com.

The Stirling Creamery Ltd. (Stirling)

The Stirling™ Creamery Ltd. has been making barrel-churned butter since 1925. To ensure the finest flavour and highest quality, these artisanal butters are produced using fresh cream, locally sourced in Eastern Ontario. Over the past year, The Stirling Creamery has been expanding its product and service offerings. Recent developments include the introduction of new butter types and formats, which bring meaningful innovation to the butter category for Canadian consumers. By working with St. Lawrence College throughout the innovation cycle, they will be able to develop product ideas and concepts, get insight on markets and conduct pre-launch concept testing. This will increase the probability of market acceptance and deliver a higher success rate for new product launches. More information is available at www.stirlingcreamery.com.