From Paul Morden, Sarnia
Observer.
Lambton
County is set to become an investor in a not-for-profit agency helping new
bio-chemical companies set up their first manufacturing sites.
County
council recently authorized finalizing a $2.5-million five-year loan and a
$2-million investment in a Bioindustrial Innovation Canada's investment fund so
it can fully access $4.5 million in matching federal funds.
The loan
includes $1 million advanced to the Sarnia-based agency in March after it
approached the county for help.
In 2016,
Bioindustrial Innovation Canada was approved for $5.5 million in federal
matching funding but only $1 million of its own funds available, so it asked
Lambton County to loan it the remaining $4.5 million.
The
$1-million advance by the county allowed the agency to secure matching federal
funding set to lapse March 31.
John
Innis, general manager of the county's finance division, said that when county
staff were looking into details of the loan it became clear a loan of $2.5
million was the most the agency's cash flow 'could reasonably be expected' to
support.
Thank you for reading.
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