Client Spotlight: Brotech Precision CNC (Barrie, Ontario)
Brotech provides machining excellence to many industries including nuclear power, alternative energy, aerospace, and defense. Their ability to manufacture specialized parts which are included in some of the most advanced technologies today make them stand out as an industry leader. Naturally, when the Barrie, Ontario company became aware of Mentor Works, they saw the immediate and sustained advantages that Canadian government funding would bring to their operations.
As a client who has received hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding through several funding programs, Brotech knows that it pays to be attentive to Canadian government funding programs.
Chris Casemore, Director of Client Management and Development at Mentor Works recently spoke with Jerome Horowitz, Vice President of Brotech, to assess the positive impact that government grant funding has had on their daily operations.
How Did You First Hear About Mentor Works?
Jerome’s first interaction with Mentor Works came through an Ontario Aerospace Council
(OAC) event in Trenton, Ontario last year. Bernadeen McLeod, President of Mentor Works, had given a presentation at the event and then followed with a networking session afterward. Based on their conversation, they set up a meeting to explore the government funding possibilities which would help expand Brotech’s business.
“The presentation was an eye opener. A lot more opportunity than what I was aware of.”
Jerome was instantly drawn to the comprehensive funding support approach Mentor Works took when it came to his business:
“Tell us your business plan and we’ll identify opportunities to help you accelerate them or get funding towards the goals that you have already.”
Brotech’s Business Development Opportunities and Funding Path
Since Mentor Works began consulting with Brotech, the company has been able to take advantage of several different government funding streams.
The Digital Technology Adoption Pilot Program (DTAPP) was an IRAP grant funding program specifically focussed on the adoption of digital technologies. In this program, eligible businesses may receive up to $100k in non-repayable Canadian government grants.
“[With the funds we received, we] focused on implementing CNC verification software which helped us model what the machine is going to do on the computer as opposed to performing multiple iterations of a program and finding out that there’s problems with it.”
The Southwestern Ontario Development Fund (SWODF) is unique to Southwestern Ontario region and provides funds for job creation, attracting new investments and facilitating new business initiatives. Eligible businesses may receive up to $1.5 million in Ontario government grant funding.
Brotech will be utilizing these funds to receive 10% off their capital and other expenditures in the next two years, which will help them to continuously expand their business. Furthermore, the funds provided will assist in the hiring and retention of 15 new full-time jobs.
How did you find the Application Process?
“It was easy for me. [The funding process was essentially] getting paid to pick my brain and pull all of the data they have into the application.”
Thoughts on Ontario Small Business Grants
“I’m grateful for the funding opportunities that are available. The government really has their focus in the right place; that is to invest in areas that bring more revenue, more profitability, and ultimately more jobs to Ontario and Canada.”
The Canadian and Ontario government funding programs available provide substantial assistance to businesses – you just need to know where to look and how to navigate through the application process.
“I’m glad that there’s someone available like Mentor Works to do more of the communication with businesses.”
Mentor Works is proud to help businesses like Brotech receive the funding that they require for growth and job creation. We know that it can be difficult for companies to filter through the numerous programs available and then write lengthy applications to receive funds. As the Canadian government funding experts, we offer consultation to businesses to determine the right mix of small business funding that will help you accomplish your objectives and then assist in the writing of applications – saving you time and boasting an extremely high approval rate.
Could Your Firm use Similar Services?
Stay updated on all available Canadian government funding programs and feel free to contact Mentor Works at any time if you feel like your business would benefit from receiving funding. We are also active on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook, so connect with us to learn how working with Mentor Works is your key to lasting business development.