The emerald green ribbon has officially been cut.
On Wednesday, July 7, PowerWood managing director Jake Power hosted a grand opening of the company’s new Agassiz plant.
The event featured a virtual appearance from B.C. Minister of Forest, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development Katrine Conroy and in-person speeches from Mission-Matsqui-Fraser Canyon MP Brad Vis, MLAs Garry Begg (Surrey-Guildford), Dan Coulter (Chilliwack) and Kelli Paddon (Chilliwack-Kent) and District of Kent Mayor Sylvia Pranger. In addition to the employees and a number of stakeholders, Couns. Kerstin Schwichtenberg and Susan Spaeti and Cheam First Nation Chief Andrew Victor.
Power said the company has received tremendous amounts of support from multiple levels of government.
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“I can’t say enough about the entire team here in the district,” Power said. “What we did here in three months would not have been possible without a willing partner. The speed that these folks move at is special and it’s very pro-business. I want to make sure everyone understands that Agassiz-Kent is a great place to do business.”
PowerWood is located on Tower Road on the former site of Metric Modular (formerly Britco), which shut down last year.
“When Metric Modular closed, we thought ‘Oh no, this is terrible,'” Pranger said. “But when that window closed, a great, big door opened. I look forward to seeing more of you and other new businesses in this great community. We wish you every success in the future.”
PowerWood was founded in Coquitlam in 1995 before moving to Surrey in 2002. The company is investing $25 million as it transitions to its new Agassiz site with hopes to expand from 30 employees to between 60 and 100 in the future.
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District of Kent Councillors Kerstin Schwichtenberg and Susan Spaeti attended the PowerWood grand opening on July 7. (Adam Louis/Observer)
PowerWood managing director Jake Power says a few words during the company’s grand opening. PowerWood is located on Tower Road in Agassiz. (Adam Louis/Observer)
MP Brad Vis speaks at the PowerWood grand opening. (Adam Louis/Observer)
Chilliwack-Kent MLA Kelli Paddon speaks at the PowerWood grand opening on July 7. (Adam Louis/Observer)
