Morris Industries in Morris, Man. is receiving more than $3.4 million from the Western Economic Diversification Canada’s (WD) Western Innovation (WINN) Initiative, to commercialize an advanced manufacturing process and create new farm equipment products.

The funding support will be a co-investment with Morris to accelerate implementation of new manufacturing technology that will incorporate advanced features in their products and position the company to remain globally competitive, a federal release says.

The new technology is expected to result in a new generation of equipment that benefit farmers with longer product life cycles through increased durability and performance, the release says. This technology enables Morris to offer advanced technology to farmers around the world and expand the company’s global competitiveness.

Since 1929, Morris has developed and manufactured high-quality equipment and is recognized for farmer-inspired innovative technology and responsive customer support. Their products are sold extensively through Canada, the USA, and Europe, as well as Africa, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.

WINN aims to bridge the gap identified in pre-commercialization funding for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), assisting them in the process of bringing their ideas to market-ready products, processes, and services.

Announced in October 2013, WINN will invest $100 million over 5 years in the form of repayable contributions to for-profit SMEs based in Western Canada.

Also announced Friday, Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership (STEP) will receive $700,000 through the Western Diversification Program (WDP) to rent trade show floor space at Agritechnica 2017 in Hanover, Germany, a federal release said.

Morris will showcase its new features in its products when it attends Agritechnica in November, along with more than 40 western Canadian agricultural equipment manufacturers, agricultural service companies, and technology companies.

Agritechnica, with an attendance of 450,000 visitors from over 75 countries, is the world’s most important trade show for western Canadian companies.