Indigenous-owned manufacturer expands thanks to the Darlington Refurbishment
Abraflex, an Indigenous-owned company based in Paisley, Ont., is now one of two companies in Canada providing nuclear-grade personal protective equipment for the industry.
And thanks to OPG’s Darlington Refurbishment project, the local business is investing in broader industrial protection services.
“OPG support has solidified Abraflex as an organization that can meet specific needs for the nuclear industry,” said Mike Ruysseveldt, Director, Product Development and Strategy at Abraflex. “We’ve ramped up production and confirmed we can produce 16,000 to 17,000 plastic suits per year.”
Abraflex recently delivered its first order of 75 Mark IIIB plastic suits to OPG for use across the company’s nuclear fleet, and more immediately on the Darlington Refurbishment.
Each suit takes Abraflex one day to produce, after which it can be put through more than 120 washes. Made of specialized material, the suits are barcoded to facilitate monitoring and to track their condition through the suits’ lifecycle.
“OPG's support has solidified Abraflex as an organization that can meet specific needs for the nuclear industry."Mike Ruysseveldt, Director, Product Development and Strategy at Abraflex
“I’ve worn plastic suits many times throughout my career, so I know how much of a challenge it can be to work in them all day,” says Ruysseveldt. “Abraflex is dedicated to developing innovative ways to improve workers’ experience and supporting the industry overall.”
The future looks bright for Abraflex, and Ruysseveldt thanks OPG for it.
“OPG’s support gave us the confidence that’s allowed us to invest in an additional 10,000 square feet for our licensed facility, expand our services and hire more staff,” he says. “It also gave us the opportunity to partner with other industry leaders.”
At a recent event where Abraflex was recognized by the Organization of Canadian Nuclear Industries for its support for nuclear, the company announced a partnership on an innovative radioactive waste remediation program between Promation Nuclear, a local robotics, tooling and process equipment manufacturing business, and Plan Group, a technical services provider.
“We’re committed to bringing jobs to Paisley, to Bruce County and to Ontario,” says Ruysseveldt. “And our work with OPG is helping us to do just that.”
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