12/12/2013 Updated 12/12/2013

Infinity targets March for move to new Ontario facility

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By Miles Moore

WELLAND, Ontario—Custom rubber mixer and compounder Infinity Rubber Technology Group Inc. will move its operations to Welland from its facility in Toronto, effective March 31, 2014, the company announced.

The Welland plant will have more than 90,000 square feet of manufacturing space, according to Tom Lennox, vice president of sales and marketing for Infinity Rubber.

This is slightly smaller than the Toronto facility, but the layout is better at Welland and will allow more efficient use of the space, Lennox said.

“Once we complete the move, we will be able to offer compound that has been strained,” he said. “This will open some new markets for us. At current sales levels we will utilize 35 to 40 percent of the plant capacity.”

The new plant will have three complete mixing lines, giving Infinity Rubber the flexibility to increase its output quickly and take advantage of any new business opportunities that arise, according to Lennox.

Welland is on Ontario's Niagara Peninsula and only 20 miles from the U.S. border, Lennox said.

“We maintain easy access to the expressway systems of both Canada and the U.S., while removing ourselves from the constant traffic delays that are all too common in Toronto,” he said. “This will improve traffic in and out of our plant.”

The Welland plant will have 70 employees at its outset, and that will increase as Infinity Rubber grows, Lennox said.

Formerly known as Biltrite Rubber (1984) Inc., the custom mixing business was facing bankruptcy in July 2009 when a group of investors and Biltrite executives led by CEO James Chung acquired the Toronto operation, changing the name to Infinity Rubber.

The United Steelworkers union began a strike against Infinity Rubber in December 2009. The strike ended early in July 2013, Lennox said.

USW officials in Ontario could not be reached for comment.