Kitchener company getting $3 million to help meet growing demand from EV market

The federal government says the money will allow for the creation of 45 new jobs at Kuntz Electroplating.

Kitchener manufacturer Kuntz Electroplating (KEI) is getting $3 million to meet growing demand from the electric vehicle market.

Filomena Tassi, the minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario made the announcement at the Kitchener manufacturing facility Monday morning.

She says the investment is meant to strengthen KEI’s manufacturing capabilities and will lead to the creation of 45 new jobs at the Kitchener plant.

Kuntz Electroplating says they’ve already hired more than a dozen people and are modifying existing production lines and adding new equipment.

“Today's investment will help our company invest in the type of production technology that will make us an important player of the greening and electrification of the North American automotive sector,” said Robert Kuntz, vice-president of process improvement at KEI.

“In anticipation of this announcement we've already hired 25 of the 45 employees that Minister Tassi mentioned just in recent weeks, which has enabled us to produce the increasing volumes of powder-coated EV battery components and parts that will run on our new anodizing line.”