$2M from province for Chemainus wood products manufacturer for expansion
Published 11:15 am Wednesday, September 16, 2026
|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready…
|
A Chemainus wood products manufacturer is expanding its operations with the help of up to $2 million in provincial funding.
Ron Anderson & Sons has broken ground on an expansion of its Chemainus manufacturing facility that will increase production capacity, introduce new prefabricated wood products and create up to 35 new jobs.
The project is being supported through the B.C. government’s BC Manufacturing Jobs Fund, which is providing funding for facility expansions and equipment upgrades.
The company currently manufactures prefabricated wall systems and plans to expands its product line to include prefabricated floors, roof panels and stairs. The expansion is expected to help the company increase production and improve efficiency by moving more of the construction process off-site.
“The BC Manufacturing Jobs Fund is helping Rob Anderson & Sons accelerate our growth in Chemainus by expanding our manufacturing capacity, investing in advanced automation and creating new skilled jobs on Vancouver Island,” said Jack Downing, president and CEO of Ron Anderson & Sons. “This funding supports our vision of delivering high-quality prefabricated construction solutions more efficiently, while strengthening the local economy and helping address British Columbia’s housing needs.”
The project is already having an impact locally, with investments in advanced manufacturing equipment leading to the hiring of 20 new employees to date. Construction is now underway on the final phase of the project, and is expected to be complete February 2027.
The new equipment and expanded production capacity are expected to allow Ron Anderson & Sons to increase sales while strengthening the company’s role in B.C.’s value-added wood manufacturing sector. The project will also support the use of off-site wood frame construction, which can improve efficiency, product quality and reduce the amount of time needed for construction on site.
“With the U.S. administration targeting our manufacturing industries, businesses and jobs, it has never been more important to help local businesses like Rob Anderson & Sons sell more of what they make here at home,” said Adrian Dix, acting minister of Jobs and Economic Growth.
The Ron Anderson & Sons project is one of more than 150 capital projects being supported through the BC Manufacturing Jobs Fund. The provincial government has committed up to $153 million through the fund toward projects expected to create more than 2,100 jobs and protect more than 2,700 existing jobs across B.C.
“Forestry has always been the foundation of Chemainus since its founding, and it is exciting to see Ron Anderson & Sons build on that history with new innovation that translates to more local jobs and a stronger manufacturing sector in our region,” said Cowichan Valley MLA Debra Toporowski.