Microart
Industry:
Advanced Manufacturing
Jobs: 20
Investment: $500,000
PROJECT OVERVIEW:
Microart, a company out of Markham, Ontario, manufactures circuit boards used in the aerospace, medical device and electronics industries. The company has a growth mindset, which has allowed the Canadian headquarters to grow to 279 employees and helped drive the need for a U.S. expansion. Acquiring a U.S. company was Microart’s preferred way to start their U.S. operations and they identified a company in Buffalo that was well suited to their operations and needs.
PROJECT SOLUTION:
The company connected with Invest Buffalo Niagara through our website, downloading our Canadian Guide to Business Expansion, where they were familiarized with some of the steps involved with opening a cross-border business. After meeting with the international team at InBN, the company was ready to take the next step. Microart attended a day of cross-border due diligence meetings facilitated by the InBN team, which included conversations around accounting and legal considerations, immigration options, and HR and staffing strategies. InBN also assisted the company with a successful application to the Excelsior Jobs Program – a refundable tax credit program through New York State.
The company ultimately decided to take the strategic opportunity to acquire the WNY company, invest capital, and add positions to the existing personnel. The company located in North Tonawanda in the newly refurbished Wurlitzer Building in 2018 and has found success with their WNY location through providing “Made in the USA” products for Canadian businesses. Currently at 8 employees, they hope to hire at least 12 more and they have developed an in-house apprenticeship training for printed circuit board assembly.