Two Granby-based textile manufacturers have been awarded $2,879,150 under the Canadian Textiles Program.

A repayable contribution of $1,190,800 has been allocated to Stedfast Inc., a producer of special fabrics for use in areas such as protective wear (such as firefighters' gear), military items (such as heat-sealable tents), hospital supplies and industrial products (such as waterproof aprons for fishery workers). The company will use the funding to purchase new manufacturing equipment, to reconfigure its facilities, to implement a Material Requirements Planning system, to put a new marketing strategy into force, and to develop employee training tools. The payment has secure 90 permanent jobs and will lead to 14 new positions at the company.

Designer and manufacturer of nylon and polyester belts Produits Belt-Tech will receive $1,688,350 for the acquisition of a fabric dyeing machine and the implementation of a lean production cell. The firm will also receive two non-repayable contributions of $100,000 each. The funding will secure 127 jobs and will allow of 13 new positions to be created.