Bombardier to invest US$270M in U.S. expansion

Bombardier says it plans to invest about $270 million US to build infrastructure in the United States in the first phase of an expansion south of the border.

Eric Martel, the company’s president and CEO, called the American side of the business a “key pillar” of its growth strategy. “Based on our constructive conversations with the U.S. administration, we see a bright path forward for our highly skilled aerospace workers as well as a positive environment for Bombardier to continue pursuing direct investments to grow our American footprint,” Martel said in a statement.

The announcement follows a social media post from U.S. President Donald Trump saying Bombardier was investing in three of four states and claiming the move would create thousands of jobs. Trump credited Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for the deal.

A Bombardier spokesperson confirmed to CBC News that a US$50-million investment in the company’s new North American Learning Center in Wichita, Kan., is part of the $270 million. The facility trains newly hired aircraft technicians.

Trump threatened the Montreal-area planemaker in September, as the Canada-U.S. trade war worsened, saying it would not be able to sell in the United States unless it built aircraft there. Bombardier already has a factory in Kansas and employs about 3,500 people in the U.S.

The president backed away from that threat earlier this week at a rally in Wichita, which is home base for Bombardier’s defence division. “I always viewed them as a Canadian company, but now I find out they have a presence here, and we’re not hurting them if they’re in Kansas,” Trump said.

The investment lands as Ottawa works to shield Canadian manufacturers from American tariffs. Canada News Media has reported on the federal-Ontario $8.7-billion plan for steel, autos and mining, and on a U.S. importer’s lawsuit over 50 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods.

Via CBC News: Canadian planemaker Bombardier to spend $270M US expanding in 4 states.

If you find reporting like this useful, consider supporting Canada News Media, an independent Canadian newsroom with no corporate parent.