‘This is an entrepreneur-led company driving progress in one of our province’s most critical industries and demonstrating that the innovations found at the intersection of mining, manufacturing, and technology can be competitive and forward-looking,’ says Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli
The hum of machinery and the smell of rubber filled the air at Yokohama’s OTR plant Friday morning as the Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI) announced $2 million in funding from Sudbury-based SYMX.AI.
Officials say the move will bring artificial intelligence and advanced analytics into tire management for heavy industry.
The project, unveiled in North Bay with Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli in attendance, is part of Ontario’s Critical Industrial Technologies (CIT) initiative. Experts say it aims to develop a first-of-its-kind digital tire management platform with partners Yokohama and Fountain Tire, designed to improve safety, reduce waste, and boost efficiency at mine sites.
“This is Ontario’s innovation at work,” said Fedeli.
“This is an entrepreneur-led company driving progress in one of our province’s most critical industries and demonstrating that the innovations found at the intersection of mining, manufacturing, and technology can be competitive and forward-looking.”
For North Bay’s Yokohama team, the announcement hits close to home. Lead team trainer Joshua Portelance has worked at the plant for two decades and told BayToday the operation has deep roots.
“Well, we’ve been here since 1988. We employ at least 50 members from the North Bay community,” said Portelance.
“Many of our employees have made it all the way to retirement. Locally, we’ve had a big impact where we give a lot of people jobs. Our main goal is to make sure we give something to our customers that results in our guys getting a paycheck, a pension, and a good life at the end of the day.”
At the North Bay facility, Portelance says used tires are given new life through a detailed remanufacturing process—retreading, repairing, and customizing compounds to meet client needs across Canada and the U.S.
During his remarks, Fedeli spoke about Ontario’s growing role in global supply chains, saying that investments like this are vital to keeping the province competitive.
“We talk about Ontario’s critical mineral and processing sector being of the highest importance,” he said. “It’s us, you buy from us or you buy from China and Russia. That’s what it comes down to.”
Portelance added, “It keeps the casings out of the landfill and the money in Ontario pockets.”