Northern Manufacturing Strategy

For the purposes of the Northern Manufactured Products Policy (NMPP), manufacturing is defined as the transformation of materials or substances into new products.  Assembly is considered manufacturing when one or more of the major component parts are manufactured in the manufacturer’s NWT facility.  The manufactured product must be product specific and is an item that is regularly stocked or part of a catalogue of items.  The manufactured product must be produced in their NWT facility.

Example barriers include infrastructure (transportation, telecommunications), costs (labour, freight), and political or technical trade barriers. 

While the types of infrastructure required to support various manufacturing businesses and industry may vary, generally speaking, the following types are seen as important:

·  Presence of industrial supply wholesalers;

·  Suitable roads, bridges, airports and harbours (transportation infrastructure);

·  Reasonably priced, accessible and reliable electricity;

·  Reasonably priced and accessible telecommunications and internet services; and

·  Municipal systems such as public water and sewer systems and waste disposal facilities.

Product differentiation is a critical element for manufacturers to develop a competitive advantage.  Keeping costs down through process innovation supports competitive pricing. Ongoing product, service and manufacturing method improvements are necessary for the long-term health of manufacturing in the NWT.