13th Street Winery is getting $100,000 in government funding to upgrade and expand.
The provincial and federal governments announcing the funding today at the winery in St.Catharines to purchase and install a hopper, tanks, insulated bins, and upgrade temperature control systems to increase productivity.
St.Catharines MPP Jim Bradley and MP Chris Bittle MP making the announcement saying the funds are provided through Growing Forward 2, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative.
13th Street Winery is one of over 300 Ontario food processors enhancing their competitiveness, innovating through the introduction of new products and creating new jobs with funding from the program.
President of the Winery Doug Whitty, who is also the 2017 - 18 Grape King says participation in the program will helped them upgrade grape processing equipment and train staff to improve and expand production and marketing capabilities.
He says the funding has encouraged him to enhance wine quality, reach new markets, create new jobs, protect worker safety, continue sustainable stewardship of the land and generate significant additional tax revenues from the sale of our 100 % Ontario VQA wines which can then be utilized to benefit the broader community.
Meantime, King's Court Estate Winery also received $100,000 to purchase and install storage tanks, conveyors, and a specialized receiving hopper to help increase automation and improve labour productivity.