A $7 million loan was announced Tuesday for Loewen in Steinbach.

Manitoba's Job and Economy Minister Kevin Chief made the promise while visiting the window manufacturer.

"As Canada's largest wood window builders, Loewen Windows has an international reach, but it knows its biggest impact is creating good jobs here in Steinbach," says Chief. "We want to help and this loan means it can hire more than one hundred new people right here in its hometown."

The loan comes through the Manitoba Industrial Opportunities Program (MIOP). President and Chief Executive Officer Al Babiuk says this is probably the fourth time they've received such a loan. He notes it will support their plan going forward with respect to product innovation, implementing new manufacturing processes and additional systems. Babiuk says this loan is very important for their growth.

In addition to the loan, Chief also announced funding worth $1.36 million in training assistance. Babiuk says this will support training programs such as their training cell, which is a simulated production line that has been implemented internally.

Babiuk says the Canadian market has been their home base for years and continues to be quite strong. As for the U.S. market, it is gradually recovering.

"It's taken a number of years to get out of the recession and we are seeing that things have improved now, still very competitive, extremely competitive," notes Babiuk. "Everybody's trying to get their share of that market increase. We have seen growth over the past two years."

According to Babiuk, Loewen today employs well over 500 people. He notes over the next five years, they hope to hire on an additional 200 staff.

"We're fortunate to benefit from the workforce in southeast Manitoba, it is a very committed workforce, people who are willing to learn and take the training that we can provide," notes Babiuk. "The ethnic populations in and around the region are changing and growing with some immigration and people moving into the area, so that's really one of our big, big advantages is having access to the workforce that there is out here."

"If we want our Manitoba companies like Loewen to stay competitive, they need to be competitive internationally," says Chief. "The best way to do that is to have a trained, skilled workforce and that's what (Tuesday's) announcement was about."