MBRP lands C$1.49M Ontario grant to reshore exhaust manufacturing from China
What's the deal? Huntsville, Ontario performance exhaust supplier MBRPDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has received a C$1.49 million grant from the Government of OntarioDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → through the Ontario Together Trade Fund. The company will match it with a C$2.98 million investment of its own.
What's the money for? MBRP plans to launch a new line of truck accessories, insource flat-cut and bent component manufacturing, reshore exhaust tip production from China, and upgrade infrastructure for new capacity. The project will create 18 jobs and protect 125 existing positions across Parry Sound–Muskoka.
Why now? The grant is a direct response to US tariffs. "Through the Ontario Together Trade Fund, our government is stepping up for businesses in our community that have been directly affected by U.S. tariffs," said Graydon Smith, Member of Provincial Parliament for Parry Sound–Muskoka.
What's the endgame? First announced in the 2025 Ontario Budget, the fund sits within the province's nearly C$30 billion tariff relief and support plan. It targets small and medium-sized enterprises, helping them strengthen operations, expand market reach and protect workers.
Zoom out. Demand has outstripped supply. Ontario added C$100 million to the program last year, bringing total funding to C$150 million over three years to help firms return production to the province and grow interprovincial trade.
"Equipment is important, but the real investment is in people," said Joshua Barkey, chief operations officer at MBRP. He added that the fund creates opportunities for employees "to learn, grow and build careers right here in Muskoka."
The signal: The MBRP grant sits at the smaller end of publicly disclosed deals — roughly the 43rd percentile by amount. But it captures a broader shift: as US tariffs pressure Canadian manufacturers, provincial money is flowing toward reshoring supply chains and defending domestic jobs, one mid-sized factory at a time.
Read more: Jobbernation
