For Derek Friesen, an injection of federal funding will allow his company to bring some of its processes north of the border and almost double its employee count in the next few years.

“It would take us five to 10 years to do this in our normal stepped (approach),” said Friesen, owner of PhiBer Manufacturing Inc., a farm equipment maker in southwestern Manitoba. “The support to do it all now … (is) definitely a huge advantage.”

Friesen was in Winnipeg on Thursday as Liberal MP Eleanor Olszewski, minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, announced more than $21 million in federal investments for nine Manitoba-based businesses.

PhiBer is receiving $4.1 million to expand its manufacturing capacity. The company will use the money to build a new plant that will allow it

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