Kinectrics moves into old Bi-Ax building; job fair slated for Dec. 13

Kinectrics has moved into the old Bi-Ax building in the Bruce Energy Centre, near Tiverton, and is already focused on recruiting new employees.

To that end, it is hosting a career and information fair, Wednesday, Dec. 13, from 1-6 p.m., at the Lake Huron Learning Centre, 385 Queen Street in Kincardine. The company hopes to recruit 30-50 people for the following positions: engineer, technologist (including technologist with non-destructive evaluation experience), planner and scheduling analyst, operations assistant, and general purpose worker.

Thursday evening, Nov. 30, Kinectrics president and chief executive officer David Harris and his team welcomed the public to an open house and "ground-breaking" at the facility in the energy centre.

Project manager Andrew Grieve noted safety first as the building was still an active construction site. He later took people on tours of the 37,000-square-foot structure which he called "Kinectrics North."

Bruce County warden Mitch Twolan said this is an exciting time in the county with Abraflex also opening in Paisley, and Kinectrics planning a new building in Teeswater next spring. "The impact this has on small communities is fantastic."

Kincardine mayor Anne Eadie echoed that excitement. "It's wonderful to see this building repurposed. Kinectrics and Kincardine are a perfect fit and we look forward to you becoming part of the community."

Harris said Kinectrics has a strong partnership with Bruce Power and was looking for properties near the nuclear plant, located in the Municipality of Kincardine. When the Bi-Ax property became available in August, Kinectrics purchased it and was able to move in mid-November and begin renovations.

Turning to Mike Rencheck, president and chief executive officer of Bruce Power, Harris said, "Everything you indicated would happen, has happened and that's fantastic."

Kinectrics is investing $15-million in the facility in the energy centre, said Harris, noting that the company started out with 200 people and $40-million in revenue, and now has 400 people and $140-million in revenue.

"Thank you for investing in this property," said Rencheck. "Economic development is a big part of what we're doing and it means a long-term commitment to the community. Without local support, none of this is feasible, for Bruce Power and for nuclear power."

Wednesday night, Harris and D'Angelo of Kinectrics made a brief appearance at Kincardine council to introduce themselves and their company.

Harris said Kinectrics was founded in 1905 as one of the first electric utilities in North America under Ontario Hydro. It went through several changes over the years, becoming "Kinectrics" in 2000, and one of its largest customers is Bruce Power.

Kinectrics is a leading provider of lifecycle management solutions to the electricity supply industry, providing testing, inspection and consultancy services.

The property at the Bruce Energy Centre will be used for operational, asset management, and Major Component Replacement (MCR) requirements, supporting Bruce Power through to 2064. The Teeswater location will be for warehousing.

Kinectrics has also acquired AMEC-NSS which is located on Philip Place, Kincardine, across from the Dollar Stop.