Straw Boss expanding and creating five new jobs in Mount Elgin through $3.2 million investment

Debbie Kasman, Tillsonburg Post Correspondent

The Straw Boss, an Ontario producer of clean chopped straw and pellet bedding for the equine, poultry, and farm retail industry, is boosting local manufacturing and creating five new jobs in Mount Elgin.

The investment was announced by MPP Ernie Hardeman in a news release on March 10.

“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 Hardeman. “The investment by The Straw Boss will support growth and innovation across the local manufacturing sector and create more good-paying jobs for workers and families in Oxford.”

With this investment, The Straw Boss will be expanding its Mount Elgin facility by 6,800 sq. ft., adding new equipment, and increasing power supply to the mill. These upgrades will increase efficiency and output to meet growing market demand for its products across North America.

In support of the investment, the Ontario government is providing The Straw Boss with $483,136 in funding through the Regional Development Program’s Southwestern Ontario Development Fund (SWODF).

“These funds supported a 6,000 square foot expansion, helped us secure new equipment and allowed us to hire 5 new staff,” said Mike Hendriksen, owner of The Straw Boss. “We’re excited to continue growing and expanding while creating good-paying jobs in the province.”

To date, the Ontario government has supported more than 180 projects through its SWODF program, leveraging more than $2.6 billion in new investments and helping to create over 5,500 jobs.

Straw Boss products can be found locally through regional feed/farm stores and pet suppliers, as well as Home Hardware in Canada.