A globally-recognized Windsor-area company has expanded to fill a vacant building in Sarnia's industrial area.
Spartan Sling has been operating in Oldcastle, ON since 1987.
President and Owner Cliff Black said they specialize in overhead lifting and load securing.
"If you want to lift something up, you're going to need chain or wire rope or nylon slings or poly round slings, you'll need shackles and hooks," he said. "Obviously, everything is government controlled, you've got the Ministry of Labour and the Occupational Health and Safety Act which stipulates what quality these products have to be. Those are the only ones that we do."
Black said Spartan Sling was looking to broaden their reach in the region, and Sarnia was a natural fit.
"Things are going to go well here, I can't see them not," said Black. "We do a fair amount of work in the petroleum industry, with oil well service companies, et cetera, all over God's creation. We actually export products, and our last big shipment went out to Abu Dhabi. So, we've got heavy manufacturing going on here in Sarnia, and we've got the huge petrochemical industry. Things like cell phones, at one point in time the materials for it were mined or pulled from the ground as oil. It's going to have to be carried at some point in time."
Black said they've developed a strong reputation.
"You'll get millwrights, ironworkers, and pipefitters that wander off and end up in another country or a different part of our country," he said. "When something comes up, and they have a problem, these guys will actually pull my card out of their pocket and call me. We haven't failed yet."
Black said they've helped out a few local companies recently, including Central Machine and OWS Railroad Construction and Maintenance.
He said Spartan Sling has hired two more employees to work at the Sarnia office.
The company has reached out to the Sarnia-Lambton Chamber of Commerce, and has also sponsored a Mooretown Junior hockey team.
Residents are invited to check out the facility during an open house on Friday, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the former Hercules SLR building at 101 Duff Dr.