Heather Wright/The Independent

The head of the Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership says the purchase of Petrolia company by a French industrial group is positive for the community.

Kinell Canada, part of the French industrial Fétis Group, purchased Dintec from Petrolia. Both companies work with manufacturers in the off-highway, special vehicle, marine, and distributed energy sectors.

Matthew Slotwinski, CEO of SLEP, says the new company– with nine full-time employees and 10 temporary workers – moved into a portion of the former Penta plant on Centre Road recently. The company expects to create another 15 jobs this year.

This is Kinell’s first North American plant, according to General Manager Mike Bos. “Kinell’s expansion into North America represents a key step in the company’s journey to provide a comprehensive ecosystem of solutions for electrification and system automation,” he said in a news release. “This new facility also represents an exciting opportunity to create local jobs and contribute to the growth of Lambton County.”

Slotwinski says “from our perspective, it’s great to see a international company that take on this operation with the intention of identifying expansion opportunities.

“I think this is a positive step for the community. It shows a a new owner who’s been aggressive in growing their business internationally, with a commitment to seeking expansion opportunities based out of the Petrolia operation and who’s involved in a variety of different industrial sectors. So what that means is there is significant opportunity for this operation to see diversified growth in the future.”