BDM coming to Chatham from Blenheim

Blenheim’s loss is Chatham’s gain, as BDM Millwrights Inc. is shifting operations to Chatham later this summer.

Jim Waters, president of BDM, said the company closes its deal to take over the former site of Aboutown Transit on Grand Avenue East at the end of August.

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He’d like to see them there sooner, however.

“We’re trying to work with the vendor on getting in before the closing date, to rent it to shift some of our production over,” he said.

BDM has been serving the agri-business and food packaging sectors since 1991. The company employs more than 50 full-time millwrights, fabricators, engineers and administrative staff.

Waters said BDM began looking for a new home about four years ago, put it on the back burner for a bit, and then saw this opportunity drop into its lap.

“We were working with the municipality to build something in the business park in Blenheim. We couldn’t get a deal together,” he said. “In 2012, a couple of projects went sideways and we put expansion plans on hold.”

But then their banker called to notify them of the 545 Grand Ave. E. building.

“We went, looked at it, made it work financially and we are making the move,” Waters said.

The Aboutown property once housed Chapman’s Grain Equipment, so the facility “was designed for a business like ours,” Walter said.

BDM deals heavily with agri-businesses in four areas, commodities such as grain and seed processing, animal feed, human foodstuffs, and service. Its customers range from ADM, Cargill and Thompsons to food processing companies that supply direct to local store shelves.

“Everyone eats and it’s everywhere in the world,” Waters said.

BDM does a fair bit of business in Latin America, he added, where much of that is in construction.

“The majority of work here in Canada is not new construction. It’s upgrades, renovation, maintenance, and remodeling of existing plants,” he said.