The Mayor of Sparwood is celebrating the newly-announced $40 million Komatsu Mining facility, believing the company’s investment will inspire others to follow.
On Friday, Komatsu Mining announced a new 85,000 square-foot sales and service facility in Sparwood that will break ground in early August and be completed by the end of 2020.
David Wilks said it’s a big opportunity for Sparwood and the entire community.
“We’re looking forward to stability with Komatsu being in the region, in our new subdivision of Middletown Place,” Wilks told MyEastKootenayNow.com. “Hopefully that will spur on others to start building there and we look forward to all of the additional opportunities that Komatsu brings over the years.”
Operating in Sparwood for more than 30 years, Komatsu Mining will continue to lease their current facility before fully moving over to their new building once it’s complete.
“They looked at everything around them and saw that the opportunities in Sparwood,” said Wilks. “Especially with all of the mining operations that they already are involved in with Teck, made the right decision to come to Sparwood and it was the right place for them to be.”
“This facility will be a great new place of work for our employees while enhancing our capabilities, so we can continue to provide our customers unrivalled service delivery,” added Steven Droste, Komatsu’s Regional Manager of Western Canada.
Purchasing a 15-acre parcel of land in Middletown Place, the facility will be adjacent to Highway 3 and have a prominent place in the community.
Wilks told MyEastKootenayNow.com that as a result of Komatsu Mining’s investment in Sparwood, more companies should take notice.
“Anytime you see a $40 million project coming to the small community such as Sparwood, it certainly provides the impetus for other opportunities, for other companies to come and show that the District of Sparwood has faith in all of these companies that are coming and that we provide the opportunity for them to excel as well.”
It’s unclear how many jobs the new Komatsu Mining facility could create but the company believes it will be integral to growing their mining business in Western Canada.