Toromont Cat has opened a new remanufacturing facility in Bradford, Ontario. The plant restores Caterpillar machine parts that are near the end of their life. These parts are refurbished and prepared for future use.
The company previously operated in Vaughan. In 2021, it began building the new facility off Line 5 in Bradford. The plant covers 143,000 square feet.
Terry Harkness, general manager of Toromont Remanufacturing, explained the purpose of the plant. “We call it the circular economy because we take parts back and put them back into use,” he said. “For many components, we can reuse up to 60 per cent of the original parts.”
Harkness added that many machine parts will be reused instead of being sent to landfills or recycling plants.
“The parts can last 20,000 to 25,000 hours, depending on how they are used,” he said. “When a component arrives here, it usually stays in our plant for four to eight weeks before going back out.”
Harkness said relocating the plant to Bradford brought many benefits.
“We searched for a site for many years. We chose Bradford because of the skilled workforce and the warm welcome we received from Bradford West Gwillimbury,” he said.
Employees are happy with the new location. Matt Koski has worked at the company for over 30 years.
“When I started, I wanted a pair of coveralls with my name on it,” Koski said. “It took some time to get in, but I did. I have a passion for Caterpillar products and enjoy every day at work.”
Koski said his daily work is rewarding.
“I operated the High-Performance Dino for many years. Diagnosing and perfecting the product before it reaches the customer is our main goal,” he said.
Now that Toromont Cat is settled in Bradford, the company plans to engage more with the community and grow its workforce.
Currently, the company employs over 150 people. It plans to add more than 50 new jobs in the future.
