Virox Technologies, an Oakville-based manufacturer of disinfectants, has become the first recipient of the Ontario Together Fund, receiving $850,000 from the Ontario Government to increase production efficiency.
Virox Technologies uses made-in Ontario technology to develop novel Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide disinfectant products, that are being used by medical industries worldwide. The $850,000 investment will go towards implementing a new production line, twice the size of the 2 existing lines present within Virox’s manufacturing facility in Oakville.
It is estimated that the increased funds will help produce over 6,000 new cases daily, with the new production lines creating 20 new full-time and part-time jobs, whilst retaining 150 full time jobs within Oakville.
“We use extremely unique, novel proprietary means to manufacture the disinfectants”, says Randy Pilon, President and CEO of Virox Technologies. “It’s not an easy product to make, which is part of its novelty”.
Virox have been local pioneers of innovation for decades; the company first pioneered the “safer alternative disinfectant trend” in 1998, using Hydrogen Peroxide. Through continuous research, re-tooling and innovation, the company’s Oakville-based innovation is now used in over 70 countries, and their novel Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide is now directly shipping to approximately 20 countries
The Ontario Together Fund
Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, launched the Ontario Together Fund to encourage the development of Canadian medical supplies and PPE (personal protective equipment).
“When COVID first broke out here in the South of the border and around the world, leaders around the world stated their intentions to tighten their shipments of PPE” said Minister Fedeli, in an interview with Oakville News.
“Premier Ford disagreed with the general rhetoric, he instead called for the push to manufacture and commercialize PPE locally,” continued Fedeli.
Currently, the Ontario Together Fund targets small-medium sized businesses and entrepreneurs that offer innovative solutions to shortages plaguing the health care sector.
So far, the Ontario Government has spent over $700 million buying PPE through submissions made on the Ontario Together Website. Equipment such as masks, surgical gowns, and face shields are highly sought after by the Canadian government, however, according to Minister Fedeli, there are shortages in certain PPE which require immediate attention.
“Despite an abundance of mask and gown manufacturers, we lacked manufacturers who specialized in wipes” said Fedeli. “Virox was an established company in the field, shipping innovative products worldwide. They offered the perfect product in a time of need, and the jobs created as a result of the fund demonstrate why they were our first-choice”.
The Ontario Together Fund is just one of the many initiatives taken on by the Canadian Government to centralize manufacturing and adopt local processes that contribute to the economy.
“Even though R&D is one of our top priorities, we have a lot of work to do to develop the ‘D’ despite our significant research advancements”, said Fedeli.
“We simply can’t have research without development - entrepreneurs like Randy Pilon, and companies like Virox epitomize why investment in small businesses is so important during these times”.