The Judd Industrial Park in Simcoe was purchased by the former Town of Simcoe in 1992 with the expressed purpose of promoting business development in the county. Since that time, the park has grown as lands were sold and businesses established. That process is continuing as Norfolk County recently completed a sale of land to both the Autofeed Corporation and FIGR Norfolk Inc.
Established in Hamilton in 1988 and acquired by the current ownership in 2005, Autofeed Corporation manufactures machine integrators as well as parts handling equipment and service. The company had outgrown its current space and was seeking a location to establish a second division, and selected Norfolk County.
Autofeed purchased a portion of land approximately 1.2 hectares (2.85 acres) for the construction of a 10,000 sq. ft. manufacturing plant. With president/owner Charlie Sloan – who has been with the company since 1994 – at the helm, construction is estimated to be completed in 2020. The company anticipates expansion of the initial building within five years of completion and are projecting an employment roster of 12 highly-skilled workers.
“This company is a perfect fit for this location because it is a prestige type industrial business with no expected noxious factory waste and no odor, noise or dust nuisance or outdoor storage,” said Chris Garwood, Norfolk County’s Economic Development Supervisor. “We’re very excited to welcome the Autofeed Corporation to Norfolk County.”
FIGR Norfolk Inc. (formally Goldleaf Pharm Inc.) is a licensed cannabis producer that has been operating in Norfolk County since 2018. The company currently owns a 20,000 square foot production facility employing 22 workers in Judd Industrial Park. Their new purchase will result in the construction of an 800,000 square-foot production facility that will create over 400 jobs. Construction is expected to take 18 months.
FIGR owns majority stakes in two Canadian cannabis producers – Canada’s Island Garden in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, and Goldleaf Pharm Inc. in Simcoe. Co-founder Larry Huszczo’s company is proposing to purchase 11.39 acres (4.61 hectares) of county-owned lands for the expansion of his business.
“This is great news for all of Norfolk County,” said Garwood. “Not only will we be adding a tremendous facility and creating hundreds of jobs but the impact of this deal will be a boon for businesses and organizations throughout the area.”
