WINNIPEG — Canadian furniture maker Palliser is expanding its North American operations as new products coupled with soaring tariffs on imports from Vietnam and China increase demand for the company's furnishings.
Palliser says it plans to grow its production capacity in Canada and Mexico by 30 per cent and add more than 700 new positions this year.
The company says it's adding a new 12,000-square-metre building to its upholstery manufacturing campus in Winnipeg and creating more than 300 new jobs at the site.
Palliser says it's also increasing production capacity in Mexico by expanding its manufacturing facilities and adding new shifts, which will create another 460 positions.
The furniture manufacturer says the expansion comes amid a spike in demand due to the success of its new product launches as well as new Canadian tariffs on furniture imports from Vietnam and China.
The company says its expansion includes a significant investment in equipment, material handling processes and automation technology.
Peter Tielmann, Palliser president and CEO, says the company's investment in new manufacturing facilities and expanded workforce reflects its commitment to the North American market.
"We’re eager to create new jobs right here in Manitoba, where our business is anchored, as well as in our Mexico facilities that primarily support our U.S. customers," he said in a statement.
"It’s important for us as a company to continue to produce domestically, which reduces our environmental impact by lowering our emissions and carbon footprint."
In September, the Canadian International Trade Tribunal said the dumping and subsidizing of certain upholstered furniture originating in or exported from China and Vietnam had "caused injury to the domestic industry."
The independent quasi-judicial body said Palliser Furniture Ltd. of Winnipeg was the complainant in the case.
It imposed new anti-dumping and countervailing duties on furniture from the two countries to be collected by the Canada Border Services Agency.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 4, 2022.
The Canadian Press
