Premier Doug Ford tours KTH Shelburne with MPP Sylvia Jones

Written By Paula Brown

KTH Shelburne Mfg. were the hosts of a quick and quiet visit from provincial leaders. 

Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Deputy Premier Sylvia Jones stopped by the KTH Shelburne Mfg. factory on Monday (July 29) afternoon, where they were given a walk through of the manufacturing facility. 

“A very positive message was delivered focusing on increased employment in manufacturing jobs,” said Shane Hall, KTH president and plant manager, in a press release to the Free Press. “Premier Ford utilized the opportunity to talk at length with associates throughout the facility to express his appreciation for all of their hard work and efforts.”

KTH Shelburne Mfg., located at 300 2nd Line, is the largest employer in Dufferin County and has been producing automotive frame components for Honda of Canada Mfg., based in Alliston, Ont., since July 1998. 

The local manufacturer is in the process of completing a 154,000-square-foot expansion of their facility, which will increase the total size of KTH Shelburne to 580,000 square feet. 

Ford's visit to the facility in Shelburne comes three months after the Japanese automaker, whom KTH supplies parts for, announced they would be making a $15 billion electric vehicle investment to build four new manufacturing plants in the province. 

The deal includes the construction of Honda's first electric vehicles assembly plant and a new stand-alone EV battery plant at Honda's facility in Alliston as well as two critical battery parts facilities spread through the province. 

When the assembly plant is fully operational in 2028, it is expected to produce up to 240,000 vehicles per year and create more than 1,000 “well-paying manufacturing jobs” according to Honda and the federal government. 

The project will be subsidized by the federal and provincial governments to the tune of $5 billion.

Honda has set a goal of having electric vehicles represent 100 per cent of vehicle sales by 2040.