Province Helps Increase Productivity at Pictou County Company

A Pictou County-based company will use new technology to increase productivity and reduce waste.

Stark International will receive $300,000 from the province's Productivity Investment Program (PIP) to buy modern equipment for three new oil processing units. The transformer maintenance regenerators will help reduce waste from processing oil, by collecting the discard in large heated cylinders.

"Investing in Nova Scotia businesses to help them become more productive and competitive is a cornerstone of jobsHere, our plan to grow the provincial economy," said Pictou East MLA Clarrie MacKinnon, on behalf of Economic and Rural Development and Tourism Minister Percy Paris. "This funding will help Stark Oil become more productive and will allow them to offer their clients around the world an improved product with more competitive pricing."

Stark International has provided oil services for transformers, hydraulic and lubrication oils for more than 16 years, building a list of clients from around the world.

"Stark values the support provided by the province," said Bradley Jardine, president, Stark International. "The funding from PIP will help us tremendously as we work to expand to new markets and create new opportunities for increased employment in rural Nova Scotia."

The Productivity Investment Program encourages Nova Scotia businesses to become more productive, innovative and globally competitive through the Capital Investment incentive, and the Workplace Innovation and Productivity Skills Incentive.

In its first year, the province has committed more than $17.2 million in PIP funding for almost 300 projects.

For more information on jobsHere and the Productivity investment Program, visit jobsHere.novascotia.ca .