Manufacturing

If your company adds value to wood, precious metals, minerals or food products – and seeks local, Northern and/or global markets – you will be attracted to Dryden’s abundant resources, skilled labour force, affordable taxes and fees, well-connected road and air networks, established infrastructure and services.

Dryden is home to a multi-skilled labour force with transferrable skill sets that has been developed over the years. Founded as a pulp and paper town, the greater Dryden workforce has emerged as experienced, diversified and proficient in manufacturing processes. Dryden has a larger percentage of residents with trades and college certificates or diplomas compared to the provincial average.

Of the 12,550 in the Dryden labour shed 15 years of age and older more than:

• 30% hold a high school certificate or equivalent
• 10% hold an apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma (many have achieved multiple)
• 20% hold a college, CEGEP or other non-university certificate or diploma
• 3% hold a university certificate or diploma below the bachelor level
• 10% hold a university certificate or diploma or degree

Workers are loyal to their employers and demonstrate their commitment with a low turnover rate.

Dryden actively promotes economic development and diversification. Developing industrial/commercial parks include:

• Norwill Industrial Park, 32 acres one block north of the TransCanada Highway
• Centennial Business Park, 19 acres one block north of the TransCanada Highway
• Airport Business Park East, 50 acres 6 kilometres north of the TransCanada Highway
• Van Horne Waterfront Park, more than 120 acres along the shores of Wabigoon Lake

The forest industry has been a mainstay of Dryden’s economy since the early 1900s when the first sawmill started up here. In 1918, the Town of Dryden became a pulp and paper making centre with the installation of the first paper machine and it has changed with the industry ever since.

Today, the Domtar Dryden facility houses a pulp machine that manufacturers one pulp product, Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft (NBSK). The softwood kraft is sold on the open market. Domtar boasts a multi-skilled trades force where many tradespeople are certified in more than one area making Domtar people and operations extremely efficient.

Domtar recognizes that without healthy and sustained forests, there is no bright future for our company, community or for the world. Domtar practices the highest level of forest stewardship possible. In 2007 Domtar planted over 6 million seedlings on both the Wabigoon and Trout Forests.

With the shift moving away from commodity products in the forest industry this opportunity positions Dryden to become a leader in manufacturing of value-added wood products. Dryden is located in the heart of the Kenora District Forest Management Units. Dryden’s is central to the region’s transportation network and wood supply making the community an ideal location for accessing your raw goods and distributing to potential target markets.

Industry development support can be accessed through FPInnovations - Forintek Division, Canada's national wood products research institute. There role is to support the forest products industry in optimizing manufacturing processes, extracting higher value products from the available resource and meeting customer's expectations of performance, durability and affordability.

Forintek's Vision is to be the global leader in wood products research and technology transfer and the knowledge center of choice for the Canadian wood products sector. To meet this vision, the Mission of Forintek is to develop scientific and technical knowledge, applications and solutions that will enhance the ongoing competitiveness of its members and the Canadian wood products sector.

Website: http://www.forintek.ca/