IKO Breaks Ground on $45M Insulation Plant in Brantford, Ontario
Roofing and building products manufacturer IKO has broken ground on a new $45 million insulation plant in Brantford, Ontario, Daily Commercial News reports. The 67,000-square-foot facility will be IKO’s first plant producing extruded polystyrene (XPS) and sits at 50 Sharp Rd., behind the company’s existing Roofmart Exterior Building Supply and SunGro Horticulture plants on Powerline Road. The plant is designed to recycle production scrap and waste back into manufacturing, and once operational is expected to employ about 40 people, supporting customers across Canada and the northeastern United States.
Construction work was awarded through a competitive bidding process, with trades selected from local contractors and suppliers in Brantford and Brant County as well as firms from across Ontario and Canada. According to the report, bidding is still underway for certain portions of the project. IKO vice-president of operations Guy Tremblay said the facility is expected to be up and running in the second half of next year.
What It Means for Subcontractors
- Trade packages remain open for portions of the project, meaning concrete, steel, and mechanical subcontractors in Brantford and Brant County still have a window to bid before award.
- The 67,000-square-foot build calls for site work, structural steel, and process-specific mechanical installation tied to XPS manufacturing equipment, a niche scope that specialized industrial subs should flag for RFQs.
- With a second-half-2027 target for operations, subs bidding remaining packages should plan crew and material lead times against that completion window.
