Weymouth Company Expands To Meet Export Demand

The province is helping a rural manufacturing company trim production costs and expand capacity to increase export sales.

Economic Development Minister Richard Hurlburt announced today, July 24, a $1.2-million loan to help Lewis Mouldings and Wood Specialities Limited expand their facility to increase production of Ten Minute Trim, an innovative new product line. The expansion will help create up to 35 jobs.

Ten Minute Trim is a new wood joining system that significantly reduces the time it takes to apply trim moulding to door and window frames. The moulding comes pre-mitred and pre-measured for quick and easy assembly.

"Lewis Mouldings is a homegrown Nova Scotia success story. By adapting to market changes and producing top-quality products, they are tapping into their export potential," said Mr. Hurlburt. "The province is proud to support companies that seek innovative ways to create sustainable economic prosperity for Nova Scotia."

Lewis Mouldings is a leader in producing a wide variety of finger-jointed, solid and edge-glued products featuring eastern white pine. Its product line includes exterior and interior door jambs, baseboards and a variety of mouldings in different styles of trim. The expansion will include upgrades to dry kiln operations and an addition to the facility to accommodate the new product line.

"We appreciate the province's recognition of the potential in our company and supporting us in our efforts to be a leader in value-added products," said Jamie Lewis, general manager of Lewis Mouldings. "We are committed to adding value to raw materials that are plentiful in Nova Scotia. It is our hope that this commitment will benefit the forest industry in our province and more specifically, the Weymouth area."

Established in 1979, Lewis Mouldings has evolved into a modern wood processing plant and, with 60 employees, is the largest employer in the Weymouth area. The company buys 80 per cent of its raw lumber from Nova Scotia logging companies. About half of its products are exported outside the province.

The province's $1.2-million loan is provided by the Industrial Expansion Fund and is repayable, with interest, over 12 years. The fund offers a variety of financial assistance to help the province's economy. Over the past two years, it has helped create or maintain more than 3,000 jobs in the province and has a return on investment of three dollars for every dollar spent.