Robert De Bartolo, OPG; Larry Miller, MP for Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound; Mike Ruysseveldt, Abraflex; Desiree Norwegian, Abraflex; Bill Wallker, Minister of Government and Consumer Services, MPP for Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound; John Bradley, Abraflex; Ron Oberth, OCNI; Darryl Spector, Promation; Steve Hammell, Mayor of Arran-Elderslie; Mike Rencheck, Bruce Power. Image supplied

Abraflex Ltd, an Indigenous owned manufacturer of personal protective equipment for the nuclear industry located in Paisley, is celebrating expansion of its existing facility and services.

A member of the Organization of Canadian Nuclear Industries (OCNI), Abraflex is the first Indigenous business in Canada to be awarded a license (Waste Nuclear Substance License) from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.

A media event was held in Paisley June 14 and in an OCNI media release, Abraflex is currently the exclusive supplier of the Mark III Plastic suit for Bruce Power and is also manufacturing specialized products including gaskets, material handling services, decontamination tenting services and packing and seals of all types. This local event will celebrate their accomplishments as well as contributions to the local nuclear industry and job growth in Paisley and Ontario.

“It is a very exciting time at Abraflex as our manufacturing facility, in the great town of Paisley, is expanding. The spin-off of this growth means a more prosperous community with additional employment and increased investment in the tri-county area," said Desiree Norwegian, owner of Abraflex.

"It’s exciting to be part of Abraflex’s expansion of its Paisley facility to perform other work such as decontamination, component remediation and hot tooling repairs under Promation Nuclear’s QA program," said Mike Ruysseveldt, Director of Business Development, Promation Nuclear and member of the Abraflex Executive Team.

“I am very pleased today to join the leadership and employees of Abraflex in celebrating the company's recent expansion into a new facility in order to increase its capability to supply unique personal protective equipment to the Canadian nuclear industry while creating valuable and sustainable jobs in local and Indigenous communities in Bruce County," said Dr Ron Oberth, President and CEO of the Organization of Canadian Nuclear Industries.

Also present with messages of congratulations were Robert De Bartolo, Vice President, Supply Chain, OPG; Mike Rencheck, President and CEO, Bruce Power; Larry Miller, Member of Parliament for Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound; Bill Walker, Minister of Government and Consumer Services; Lisa Thompson, MPP Huron-Bruce and Minister of Education; and Steve Hammell, Mayor of Arran-Elderslie.