Work is continuing on a new Atlas Structural Systems manufacturing facility in Mount Uniacke that will employ 60 people when it opens next year.
The 90,000-square-foot building will serve as an off-site construction facility for prefabricated wall, floor and stair panels that are used to build more affordable homes and multi-family buildings. It is being built on Alicia Scott Boulevard in the Uniacke Business Park.
Atlas has been operating for 35 years and specializes in the design and production of structural building components for commercial and residential projects in Eastern Canada. Its integrated roof, wall and floor systems are produced at locations across Atlantic Canada, including Lower Sackville, Liverpool and Antigonish. There are also facilities in Moncton, Fredericton, Saint John, Richibucto and Grand Falls in New Brunswick, Cornwall in Prince Edward Island and Mount Pearl in Newfoundland and Labrador.
The company says the new location will help meet housing demand by adding capacity to the Nova Scotia market. It said the project is an investment in equipment and automation that will improve quality, efficiency and construction speed while lowering the carbon footprint.
The facility is expected to open in March. Construction began in January.
"This investment is how we are doing our part to address the housing shortage we see in Atlantic Canada while providing jobs to the local community,” Atlas general manager Marc Richard said in a news release.
The municipality of East Hants said the Uniacke Business Park was selected for its prime location and transportation access along Highway 101 and its proximity to the Halifax market.
