News Release Archive
ECONOMIC RENEWAL--SHIRANE TOWNSHIP, JAPAN
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The exporting potential of Atlantic Canadian building products
manufacturers took a major step forward today.
Nova Scotia's Economic Renewal Minister Robbie Harrison took part
in the commemorative signing of a contract which marks the
beginning of a 42 home development in Shirane Township, Japan,
worth $1.2 million to Atlantic Canadian suppliers.
The contract is the result of the Atlantic Canada Home Program, a
public/private partnership involving the four Atlantic Provinces,
the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and a pool of 28
building products manufacturers from the region.
Program participants have spent a year promoting Atlantic Canada
expertise via a specially designed booth at trade shows in Japan.
Now Shirane Township will be building Atlantic Canada homes in
Japan, with the distinct possibility of securing more business in
the very near future.
The development is the first of 80 such projects, where the
Japanese Ministry of Agriculture has earmarked tracts of marginal
agricultural land to become single family dwelling townships like
the one at Shirane.
Considering Atlantic Canada companies sourced 80 per cent of the
first project, and Nova Scotia companies supplied about one third
of the product, the future looks bright for the 10 Nova Scotia
members of the program.
Accompanying Mr. Harrison in Japan are Paul Deveau,
vice-president of sales and marketing for Kohler Windows; Terry
MacDow, sales manager of Shaw Brick; and Earl Caldwell, president
of Nu-Air Ventilation Systems Inc. While in Japan, the Nova
Scotia building sector executives are also attending the formal
opening of permanent display centres, in Tokyo and Osaka, that
will feature Nova Scotia products and other products from the
companies participating in the Atlantic Canada Home program.
"This is a great example of what cooperation between the public
and private sector and between provincial and federal government
can achieve. The success of the Atlantic Canada Home Program
means an exciting turning point for the Nova Scotia companies
involved and opens up a potentially huge market to Atlantic
Canada building product manufacturers suppliers," Mr. Harrison
said. He said the high quality of Atlantic Canadian products
should stand the companies in good stead to secure further export
contracts in the future.
The partnership is an initiative of the Canada/Atlantic Provinces
COOPERATION Agreement on International Business Development.
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Contact: Steve Warburton 902-424-0927
Debbie Corey 506-851-2132
trp Mar. 27, 1996 - 11:25 a.m.
