EBS Global is ready to have its metal tested.
The Barrie company had its grand opening Thursday afternoon at its 60,000-square-foot prefabricated wall, slab and truss panel steel factory at 220 John St.
Chris Baumann, the site operations manager, says the steel can be used to make anything from a small shed to an multi-storey structure.
“It’s stronger, more true than wood,” he said, “so for the difference in building residential projects, it has the ability to go up incredible fast. You’re not losing time with weather so that demand to streamline the construction process is something that we can facilitate.
“When you get into the larger buildings, we can do all the way up to an eight-storey building,” Baumann added. “You’re not only saving on time, you’re saving on time and money. You eliminate the need for the concrete structure, all the curing times and the weather associated with that.”
A 2,000-sq.-ft. home can be built inside three days, he said.
EBS, which is short for Engineered Building Systems, employs about 70 people at its Barrie operation, with the capacity for 500 workers, Baumann said.
Barrie-Innisfil MPP Andrea Khanjin, who is also the province's new minister of red-tape reduction, said EBS Global could help the province reach its goal of 1.2 million new homes built by 2031.
“We can’t do it alone,” she said.
Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall was of similar mind about EBS.
“It deals with the issues of today … getting homes built,” he said.
American tariffs on Canadian goods, including steel and aluminum, was another topic of concern.
“It couldn’t be more timely having a new Canadian company,” said Paul Markle, chief executive officer at the Barrie Chamber of Commerce. “The market (for EBS) is massive. The possibilities are endless.”
Barrie’s two Conservative MPs also chimed in about what EBS is doing.
“It’s not easy economic times, opening a business now,” said Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte MP Doug Shipley.
“The tariffs are a wake-up call to all of us,” said Barrie-Innisfil MP John Brassard.
Also on hand for the grand opening were Barrie Ward 1 Coun. Clare Riepma and Ontario's Associate Attorney General Michael Tibollo.
