Amherstburg in running for new Chinese automotive glass plant

A Chinese automotive glass manufacturing company, Xinyi Glass, is looking at Windsor-Essex as a potential site for itsNorth American plant.

Mayor Aldo DiCarlo said the town is in the running. If everything goes through, the plant would be located in the site of the old Honeywell plant.

DiCarlo said company officials had been looking at that property for a few months.

"We've been trying to get a company to come into town for that property for as long as I can remember," he said.

"First and foremost is taxes and jobs. Let's just say it would be a considerable amount of employment."

The Beacon Herald has reported the company is also looking at Stratford as a potential location for the plant, along with other southwestern Ontario municipalities.

Rejected from Guelph

Xinyi Glass had hoped to put its new manufacturing plant in land between Cambridge and Guelph, but hopes were slashed by the Township of Guelph/Eramosa council.

Members voted in favour of upholding a bylaw that would keep the proposed factory site at Highway 124 and Wellington 32 for dry use, meaning any industry set up there cannot use significant amounts of water for production.

The company planned to use an estimated 1.6 million litres of water a day in the manufacturing process.

Windsor-Essex Economic Development Corporation (WEEDC) has confirmed it has met with the glass company and with the province.

"We want all companies to come here, of course," said Lana Drouillard, director of marketing and communications for WEEDC.

She said they are "on top of it," but cannot give any other details, citing confidentiality reasons.

The North American headquarters for Xinyi Glass is in Markham, Ont.