Manufacturing

Sporting goods manufacturer Easton Sports Canada, based in Kirkland Quebec, and Japanese trading company, Itochu Shoji, have signed an exclusive manufacturing and sales licence contract. The deal will allow Itochu to become a full-scale Easton dealer in Japan and Easton to expand its Japan business. The deal covers baseball and archery equipment, sports apparel, caps, and bags. The first year sales target is C$7.5 million.

CCL Industries Inc., a Toronto-based company that provides specialty packaging and labeling solutions for the consumer products and healthcare industries, announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire Clear Image Labels Pty. Ltd of Sydney, Australia, for $34 million in a combination of cash, restricted stock and absorbed debt. Clear Image supplies pressure sensitive labels to the Australian wine industry and has production facilities in Sydney and in the Barossa Valley in South Australia.

Toronto-based McVicar Resources, which focuses on the research, production and marketing of specialty chemicals through its China-based subsidiaries, announced that its subsidiary in China, Hongbo Chemical Co. Ltd., will acquire an 80% interest in Luyuan Chemical Co. Ltd. Hongbo will pay $600,000 for the interest and C$750,000 for working capital. Luyuan is a manufacturer of specialized chemical products based in Xiangshui city, northern Jiangsu province.

Vancouver-based Avantec Technologies Inc., a developer and manufacturer of portable delivery systems for chlorine dioxide (ClO2), announced that it signed a distribution agreement with environmental products and services company Asia Water Solutions Company Ltd. of Hong Kong. Under the five-year agreement, Asia Water Solutions will distribute Avantec’s water purification, odour-elimination and cooling water products in China, including Macao and Hong Kong.

Toronto-based HydraLogic Systems Inc. announced that it has signed a distribution agreement for its proprietary and patent pending mosquito and odour control technologies with an India-based pest management company, Pest Control India Pvt. Ltd. (PCI). Exclusive distribution rights to HydraLogic’s Bug Defence mosquito and HLS Ecolo odour control products have been assigned to PCI. PCI is a specialist in anti-mosquito projects and it maintains a network of 125 offices in India. HydraLogic develops engineered misting systems and proprietary environmental chemistries.

Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters and its Indian counterpart the Confederation of Indian Industry signed a letter of intent to work together to strengthen economic ties and increase trade and investment between the two countries. The letter of intent recognizes opportunities for cooperative business development in Canada and India, and outlines future collaborative activities including sharing of information and best practices, exchange of technical expertise, and reciprocal visits.

Vancouver-based Westport Innovations Inc. announced that the Australian Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government has certified Westport’s High Pressure Direct Injection (HPDI) liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel system adapted to the 2008 Cummins ISX heavy-duty engine to the 2008 Australian Design Rules (ADR 80/02 and ADR 30/01. Westport has also established an Australian entity, Westport Innovations (Australia) Pty. Ltd., that is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Westport Innovations. Westport Innovations Inc.

Toronto-based Barrick Gold Corporation announced a 10-year agreement with Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. of Japan to secure the supply of potentially more than $200 million in tires. Under the agreement, Barrick will purchase approximately 1,300 off-the-road (OTR) tires a year beginning in 2009. To meet this demand, Yokohama will embark on a major expansion of the Onomichi plant located in Hiroshima. The US$50 million expansion includes a new building, production line, and related equipment, and will be primarily funded by a $35 million loan from Barrick.

Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced the initiation of investigations into the alleged injurious dumping and subsidizing of certain carbon steel welded pipe originating in or exported from China. The investigations follow a complaint filed by ArcelorMittal of Montreal.

The Ontario government announced that South Korea’s Hanwha Group will build a new $70 million manufacturing plant in London, Ontario. The new 200,000 sq. ft. facility will be the first in Canada for the company. The facility will supply retail outlets such as Rona and IKEA with HanStone Fine Quartz surfaces for kitchen countertops, vanities and other surfaces for residential and commercial uses.