A potential sale to Canadian defense maker Roshel could return the Brampton plant to operation and bring more than 2,000 jobs to the site.<\/p>\n
On the Dash:<\/p>\n
Stellantis is exploring a sale of its idle Brampton, Ontario, plant to defense manufacturer Roshel.
\nRoshel says it plans to bring more than 2,000 jobs to the facility if the deal closes.
\nThe potential sale follows Stellantis\u2019 decision to move next-generation Jeep Compass production from Brampton to Illinois amid U.S. tariffs.<\/p>\n
Stellantis is exploring a sale of its idle assembly plant in Brampton, Ontario, to Canadian defense manufacturer Roshel<\/a>. The companies have signed a memorandum of understanding to pursue the transaction, since the plant has sat idle since 2023, when Stellantis paused retooling work amid U.S. tariffs on imported vehicles.<\/p>\n Sign up for CBT News\u2019 daily newsletter and get the latest industry stories delivered straight to your inbox.<\/a><\/p>\n Stellantis Canada Chairman<\/a>, President and Chief Executive Trevor Longley said the company evaluated multiple options before choosing Roshel.\u00a0\u201cStellantis believes that Roshel represents a strong path to restoring sustainable operations at Brampton Assembly,\u201d Longley said in a\u00a0statement<\/a>, adding that it will preserve the site\u2019s \u201cstrategic role in Canada\u2019s advanced manufacturing sector and help to avoid a prolonged period of inactivity.\u201d\u00a0Roshel CEO Roman Shimonov<\/a> said the company plans to bring more than 2,000 jobs and new capabilities, including ballistic steel production, to the Brampton site, and pledged to offer laid-off Stellantis workers priority consideration for jobs at the facility.<\/p>\n Notably, a return to active manufacturing would preserve the site\u2019s role in Canada\u2019s advanced manufacturing sector and give the facility a path forward after Stellantis changed its product plans. The automaker originally intended to build its next-generation Jeep Compass<\/a> in Brampton, but it shifted that production to Belvidere, Illinois, after the U.S. imposed 25% tariffs on imported vehicles, straining relations with the Canadian government, which had invested hundreds of millions of dollars to retool the Brampton and Windsor, Ontario, plants.<\/p>\n Labor talks hit an impasse<\/p>\n Unifor, which represents about 9,000 Stellantis workers in Canada, said the potential sale has stalled negotiations on a new labor agreement. The union believes the company\u2019s proposal to close and sell the Brampton plant has slowed the bargaining process, adding that a sale would threaten its members\u2019 wages, pensions and other benefits. However, the current labor agreement expires Sept. 20, and Stellantis and Unifor continue to negotiate as the potential sale progresses.<\/p>\n