Contracts between Ridge Cedar Products of Keswick Ridge and 3 tri-state area companies will bring over $100,000 worth of business to New Brunswick.

The Minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), the Honourable Gerry Byrne, and Premier Bernard Lord released details today on the deal which took place during the current Team Canada Atlantic trade mission to New York City.

"Ridge Cedar is reaping the benefits of trade missions such as the ACOA Export Partnering Program to Boston and now the Team Canada Atlantic Trade Mission to New York," said Gerry Byrne, Minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. "Today, Ridge Cedar is proving that with a lot of hard work and with an excellent product, Atlantic Canadian businesses can break into new export markets and create jobs back home."

"These contracts are a perfect example of how this trade mission can help us to form strategic partnerships at the international level," Lord said. "These strategic partnerships are an important component of Greater Opportunity: New Brunswick's Prosperity Plan: to make our economy more globally competitive by increasing our capacity for innovation, productivity, and export orientation."

Ridge Cedar Products is a wholly integrated operation focused on eastern white cedar from log yard to mill to planing operations for a wide variety of value-added products. Such products include paneling, fencing, decking, railing, log home profile and 100% all natural mulch.

"This trade mission has been a very good experience for us," Lorne Hawkins, president and CEO of Ridge Cedar Products said. "We are extremely pleased with the level of cooperation we've received from the provincial and federal governments. We've made excellent business contacts here in New York and we expect to do even more business in the very near future. "

Ridge Cedar Products was established in May 2000 and currently has over 50 employees working in two facilities in Keswick Ridge.

The goal of the New York trade mission is to create new business partnerships, increase trade and investment and build strategic alliances between Atlantic Canadian and northeast United States companies.

The trade mission continues through Thursday, May 23rd. The Team Canada Atlantic Mission to New York City is organized by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, the provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, the Departments of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Industry Canada and the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters.

Additional information and recent photos on Team Canada Atlantic's trade mission to New York City can be found at http://www.teamcanadaatlantic.com/index.php3?number=52951.

Peter A. H. Graham
Office of the Minister of State
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
(613) 294-1990
pgraham@acoa-apeca.gc.ca 

Wes Harrison
Communications Officer
Team Canada Atlantic Secretariat
ACOA PEI
wharriso@acoa-apec.gc.ca 

Pauline Pitre-Savoie
Senior Communications Officer
ACOA Head Office
(506) 874-3571
ppitres@acoa-apeca.gc.ca 

Amanda Harpelle or Étienne Allard
Communications
Office of the Premier, New Brunswick
(506) 453-2144

Judy Cole
Communications Officer
Business New Brunswick
(506) 444-4983