tradition meets innovation

We often hear from our political leaders, manufacturing is critical to the success and vitality of any economy or region. Manufacturers take raw materials, specialized skills and initiative to add value to create finished products that can be sold at a profit. That profit is returned to the region in the form of good wages and a solid tax base.
Manufacturing takes vision, a great work ethic and smarts to build something that is unique or of higher quality than the competition to achieve success in local, national and international markets.
The South Shore, and Lunenburg County in particular, is no . stranger to success in manufacturing. With a history steeped in traditional resource-based manufacturing, the towns of Lunenburg and Bridgewater were famous as far back as the 19th century for their products. Wooden ships, salt fish, marine engines and propellers and lumber were some of the products that made their mark around the planet and drove the economy for years.
But as they say, time changes everything and so is the case with manufacturing in Lunenburg County. Sure, we still build ships but now many of them are made of aluminum and composites. We produce lumber, but we do it now with a volume and efficiency that would be the envy of any region and we do it sustainably. We still harvest and sell fish, but now we invest more in it and add greater value selling top quality processed fish to a growing global client base with a strong focus on
sustainability.
After a couple of hundred years we have diversified manufacturing in the region which has put a greater demand on finding the skills needed to build the exciting and exotic things now shipped out of here.
Some examples of other products being manufactured locally in the 21st century include robust scientific deck machinery for oceanographic vessels, passenger and light truck tires, engineered wood siding to clad houses with a traditional look hiding a hi-tech material, world class plastic thermoforming equipment that utilizes unique processes reducing energy consumption, cutting edge technology to produce carbon fiber components for aircraft parts that are used by major aircraft . manufacturers as well as components for use on communication
satellites.
But why stop there? Some of the best video games in the world are created in Lunenburg County, cutting edge scientific equipment which is used to measure changes in the world’s oceans, and we now produce value added products from locally grown fruit and berries that line the shelves of stores across the nation.
This focus on creativity while maintaining our love of craftsmanship allows local manufacturers to sell to and in some cases dominate international markets. Clients see our products and innovation as critical to their operations. Being ideally located on Canada’s East coast we are near one of the greatest deep-water harbours in the world, a busy international airport and our place in time has us saying good night to European clients as we say good morning to clients on the west coast and Asia.
The result of all this activity is a stable economy, with good . paying jobs and lots of spin off activity in the region.