Building Business

Kenora’s Sierra Construction has been doing a booming business in the residential and commercial markets for almost 20 years. But it wanted to keep – and grow – its smaller industrial client base, which includes Weyerhaeuser, TransCanada, H20 Power and North American Palladium. That meant it needed to offer custom steel fabrication. Sierra applied to the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation for help. The company presented a solid business case and was successful in receiving both a grant and loan from the NOHFC, which allowed it to expand its facility and buy new steel fabrication equipment. Says president James Minor, “To keep our existing clients and attract new ones in the forestry, mining and pipelines industries, we knew we had to offer more service. Without the assistance of the NOHFC it would have been very difficult for us to expand.”