Bombardier, the world’s leading manufacturer of planes and trains, today celebrated its 20-year history in Ontario with a special event held at the company’s aerospace facility in Toronto. Bombardier CEO Pierre Beaudoin, joined by Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, held a conversation with the company’s more than 6,200 Ontario employees gathered in Toronto and at the company’s manufacturing facilities in Thunder Bay, North Bay and Kingston.
“In 1992, during a global economic downturn, Bombardier acquired the de Havilland Canada aerospace plant, and the Urban Transportation Development Corporation (UTDC) in Thunder Bay and Kingston,” said Mr. Beaudoin. “Bombardier invested in the facilities and employees in Ontario, believing that they had what it takes to help us become a world-class maker of planes and trains. Today I am proud that our 6,200 employees in Ontario contribute more than $2.7 billion to the Ontario economy, and generate more than $650 million of business for nearly 300 Ontario-based suppliers.”
"Just as Bombardier employees can point to trains and planes around the world and say: 'I built that,' we can look at the partnership between Ontario and Bombardier and see that we've built a lot, together,” said Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty. "Ontarians have invested in skills, education, infrastructure and a strong society. Bombardier -- with its advanced manufacturing, strong R&D and world-class products – has not only made the most of Ontario's competitive advantages, it added to them."
“We are very proud that the planes and trains Bombardier makes right here in Ontario move thousands of Ontarians and people around the globe, every day,” added Mr. Beaudoin. “Here in Toronto, as the largest manufacturer in the Greater Toronto Area, we build the planes that Porter Airlines flies, as well as those flown by Jazz and Sky Regional under the Air Canada Express banner. We look forward to seeing our airplanes flying for WestJet soon. In Thunder Bay we make the GoTrains and Rocket Trains used by commuters throughout the Greater Toronto Area at a rate of nearly one a day. Bombardier’s 300-strong team in Kingston is part of a centre of global excellence in monorail research and rail system design; our transit service team in Mississauga manages technical assistance, fleet operations, maintenance and vehicle modernizations for North America, and our iconic yellow water bombers that help firefighters all over the world come from our facility in North Bay. We at Bombardier are celebrating our 20-year history in Ontario as we invest in the continued evolution of mobility, making transit and transportation more efficient for travellers and greener for the environment.”
About Bombardier in Ontario
In Ontario, Bombardier’s more than 6,200 employees at five facilities manufacture, assemble, service or conduct research and development on world class planes and trains including theQ400 NextGen turboprop aircraft, the Global 5000, Global 6000 and soon to be the Global 7000and Global 8000 business jets, the Bombardier 415 amphibious aircraft, the wing for the Learjet 45 XR, and key components of the CSeries commercial aircraft. Bombardier Transportation designs, manufactures, maintains and operates the BiLevel GO Trains, the new TTC Rocketsubway cars, the new Toronto streetcars and Metrolinx Light Rail Vehicles, the O-train in Ottawa and the INNOVIA monorail system and metro. Passenger rail vehicles and systems designed and built in Ontario are moving people all over the world while Bombardier commercial aircraft built in Ontario are flown by more than 120 operators in 50 countries around the globe. Through direct employment and a network of nearly 300 suppliers, Bombardier contributes more than $2.7 billion annually to the Ontario economy.
About Bombardier
Bombardier is the world’s only manufacturer of both planes and trains. Looking far ahead while delivering today, Bombardier is evolving mobility worldwide by answering the call for more efficient, sustainable and enjoyable transportation everywhere. Our vehicles, services and, most of all, our employees are what make us a global leader in transportation.
Bombardier is headquartered in Montréal, Canada. Our shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD) and we are listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America indexes. In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011, we posted revenues of $18.3 billion. News and information are available at bombardier.com or follow us on Twitter @Bombardier.
