Student Reporter      

    The "one stop tank shop" in St. Marys has won a federal military contract worth $2.2 million.

     Robica Forman Tank Ltd. of St. Marys and London got the call yesterday morning that it had been awarded two contracts from the public works and government service department for the

Department of National Defense (DND)      

     The federal contracts covers the repair and overhaul of 93 military trailers for DND's domestic and foreign operations.

     The trailers are currently being gathered up and transported to St. Marys by the DND, where they will be refurbished and restored.

     Most of the trailers were built in the mid-1980's and require new brakes, decking, new lights and repair of

cracked surfaces, said Bob Nothof, vice president of Robica Forman Tank Ltd.    

     "We're refurbishing the trailers se they (DND) can get a few more years out of them" said Mr. Nothof.      

     The two contracts start

in September and create five new specialty jobs for Perth

County residents and three in the London region consisting

of painters, welders and trailer mechanics.

     The job consists of the refurbishing of 83, 15 ton pintle-hitch type beaver-tail trailers and 10  40-ton

detached gooseneck-drop double-deck trailers to be completed by March 2008.

     The trailers will be put through strict inspections performed by certified Robica employees, to make sure the meet the Department of Transport's national safety standard, said Mr. Nothof.

     When manufacturing or

repairing government prop- erty, all staff members must submit to several levels of certifications and inspection to ensure the highest level of quality control.

     "It's the some thing that Ford or GM has to do." said Mr. Nothof.

     The bidding war for federal contracts, especially military manufacturing contracts, typically involves fierce competition between companies in Ontario, Que- bec and Manitoba.

     Robica had to prove to the government it they had the manpower and financial backing to tackle a contract of the size.  However, this is the second rime Robica Forman Tank Ltd. has won contracts for the Canadian military.  In 2001, the company was awarded a $10-million contact to build 88 refueling tankers, which was successfully completed in 2003.