Weymouth plastics firm joins trade mission

The five-day mission, which runs Nov. 16-20, is designed to allow the region’s entrepreneurs to meet face-to-face with U.S. buyers, agents, distributors, and strategic partners. Similar trade mission to Chicago in 2005 resulted in more than $5.4 million in export sales for participants.

Nova Plastics manufactures two innovative products, according to the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, one of the organizing partners in the trade mission.

The company’s seamless and hemless washable shower curtain is a polyester knit fabric with a unique mildew-resistant PVC antibacterial coating. The curtain is popular in the hospitality sector, resists curling, is washer and dryer safe for over 75 machine-washes, and has many industrial uses as well.

Nova Plastics’ other high-profile product, a recyclable cutting surface, provides an always-clean, safe and cost-effective food preparation area. Featuring a low-cost per unit, the easy-to-sanitize ‘clean sheet dispenses from a self-storing carton and prevents cross-contamination of the chopping area.

Dennis Arsenault, vice-president of Nova Plastics, is interested in marketing the recyclable cutting surface to the Illinois-area and looks to meet with food-service companies like restaurant supply firms and distributors.

Since 1999, Team Canada Atlantic has organized 14 trade missions to the New England states, Atlanta, New York, Washington, D.C., Chicago and Florida. The missions have helped several hundred small and medium-sized businesses from Atlantic Canada meet with 3,665 agents and business owners from across the United States, resulting in more than $45 million in exports sales.

Team Canada Atlantic is a partnership of the ACOA, Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, Industry Canada and the four Atlantic Provinces.