Ontario Welcomes Over $3.7 Million Manufacturing Investment in St. Thomas

March 19, 2026

Forest City Castings Inc. will support over 45 good-paying jobs in St. Thomas

ST. THOMAS — The Ontario government is welcoming an investment of $3,759,238 by Forest City Castings Inc., a local manufacturer specializing in precision graphite molding, to increase production capacity, strengthen advanced manufacturing capabilities and expand into new markets, while protecting 42 existing positions and creating five new, good-paying jobs in St. Thomas.

The investment was announced today by Rob Flack, Member of Provincial Parliament for Elgin-Middlesex-London.

“By supporting strategic investments from regional businesses, our government is protecting Ontario’s workers and creating the conditions for a strong, stable, and resilient economy that can weather any storm,” said MPP Flack. “Forest City Castings’ investment will support growth and innovation across the local manufacturing sector and create more good-paying jobs for workers and families in Elgin-Middlesex-London.”

With this investment, Forest City Castings will enhance its capabilities to produce highly precise, high-quality metal castings for sectors including medical, defence, robotics and advanced technologies, where performance and accuracy are critical. With the addition of state-of-the-art equipment, the company will modernize and expand its operations, strengthening their competitiveness in casting and machining. These upgrades will enable Forest City Castings to improve efficiency, drive innovation and position the company to grow in new export markets.

“Forest City Castings Inc. is proud to advance this project, which will strengthen our production capabilities and improve efficiency and automation throughout the facility. By investing in new equipment, we will expand our ability to serve customers across multiple industries while supporting job growth and maintaining our skilled workforce in St. Thomas,” said Devin McRae, President of Forest City Castings Inc.

In support of this investment, the government is providing Forest City Castings with $500,000 in funding through the Regional Development Program’s Southwestern Ontario Development Fund (SWODF).

“Employing more than 800,000 workers across the province, Ontario’s manufacturing sector is the economic engine of our nation,” said Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. “Our government is proud to support local companies like Forest City Castings as they expand their operations, and we thank them for their contributions to Ontario’s dynamic and growing manufacturing ecosystem.”

Ontario is investing over $230 million through its Regional Development Program to help manufacturers across the province grow while supporting distinct regional priorities. To date, Ontario has supported more than 180 projects through the program, leveraging more than $2.6 billion in new investments and helping to create over 5,500 jobs.

QUICK FACTS

The government launched the Regional Development Program (RDP) for eastern and southwestern regions of Ontario in November 2019. Through this program, businesses and municipalities can get financial support and guided access to a range of complementary services and supports.
In 2022, the Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation Competitiveness (AMIC) stream of the RDP was launched to support advanced manufacturers across the province. Ontario is now providing additional funds to enhance the AMIC stream that will help more firms with the financial support and tools needed to improve competitiveness, while strengthening essential supply chains.
The government continues to provide tax support to Ontario manufacturers by continuing to offer the Ontario Made Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit to eligible businesses.
Additionally, Ontario has launched a new $150 million Ontario Together Trade Fund to assist local businesses in taking advantage of new interprovincial trade opportunities.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

MEDIA CONTACTS
Emily Bradshaw
Office of Rob Flack, MPP
emily.bradshaw@pc.ola.org