City officials are celebrating a $6 million investment in Magna International’s Windsor mechatronics plant that will create new 110 jobs.
Windsor’s mayor and several city councillors gathered at the Twin Oaks Drive facility on Wednesday to publicly extol its growth.
“It’s exciting,” said Mayor Drew Dilkens. “Magna has strong roots around the world. They’re good at what they do, and being able to add to that complement here in the City of Windsor is a strong sign that they want to be part of the success that’s happening here.”
The Windsor investment is part of a wide-ranging $470-million package from Magna International to expand its Ontario operations and add more than 1,000 jobs across the province. The investment was first announced last month.
The Windsor operation’s footprint will remain the same, but its staffing complement will swell from more than 200 to more than 300 and the facility will manufacture a new product.
Brian Alexander, general manager of Magna Windsor Modules, called the investment “very significant.” Due to a confidentiality agreement with the customer, he declined to state what the product will be or who the customer is, but he did say the new product will be an “automotive component.”
Production will begin in November. Anyone interested in applying for one of the new positions, which include assembly work and some salary positions in quality control and engineering, should visit magna.com/careers.
“Magna has a long history in our region as a key global supplier in our automotive industry system,” said Stephen MacKenzie, president and CEO of Invest WindsorEssex.
“With the new neighbour up the line, NextStar Energy, the battery plant … this recent investment in Magna’s Windsor operations further solidifies our region’s strength and stability in automotive manufacturing and next-generation vehicle production.”
In March, Magna also confirmed investments to expand its plants in Guelph ($140 million, 175 jobs), Belleville ($35 million, up to 100 jobs), Newmarket ($24 million, 75 jobs) and Penetanguishene ($1.8 million, 15-plus jobs).
Magna has 49 manufacturing facilities in Canada with more than 18,500 employees.
