On the Dash:
- Stellantis signed an agreement to sell its idled Brampton Assembly Plant and related equipment to Roshel for an undisclosed amount. The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals.
- Roshel plans to turn the facility into a Centre of Excellence for advanced manufacturing, with the goal of supporting Canadian defense production and exports to allied markets.
- Unifor criticized the sale as a breach of Stellantis’ commitments to its workers, while Stellantis said it remains prepared to negotiate a settlement with the union.
Stellantis announced Monday that it signed an Asset Purchase Agreement to sell its idled Brampton Assembly Plant in Ontario and associated equipment to Roshel, a Canadian defense technology company, in a deal the two companies expect to close by the end of 2026, pending fulfillment of closing conditions and necessary government and regulatory approvals.
The companies didn’t disclose the purchase price but also established a strategic cooperation framework to explore global collaboration on vehicle technologies and related defense-industry services. Stellantis said the agreement creates an opportunity to return the idle facility to productive industrial use while supporting Roshel’s growth and potential joint business opportunities.
While Roshel plans to establish a Centre of Excellence for advanced manufacturing at the Brampton facility, Roshel Founder and CEO Roman Shimonov said it would help Canadian companies serve domestic customers and export products to allied markets while aligning with Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy, strengthening domestic industrial capabilities, supporting local economic growth and creating manufacturing jobs in the Toronto area. In the company’s media release, he said, “We look forward to working collaboratively with government and the broader community to bring this vision to life.”
Unifor, the union representing the plant’s workers, questioned whether those job commitments would materialize, and Local 1285 President Vito Beato said procurement contracts to fill the plant haven’t been secured yet.
Unifor calls sale a betrayal
The sale arrives amid ongoing negotiations between Stellantis and Unifor, which represents the plant’s workforce. The previous contract expired Sept. 20 after talks reached an impasse in September, and workers voted Oct. 17 and 18 to authorize a strike after Stellantis signed a memorandum of understanding with Roshel on a potential sale.
Unifor said it had been working toward four-party talks involving Stellantis, the union and both the Ontario and Canadian governments on the automaker’s future manufacturing plans in Canada, and Unifor National President Lana Payne called the sale a betrayal of workers that the union said violates the collective agreement and breaks commitments Stellantis made to the Canadian government. Payne also warned the sale could lead to further job losses among suppliers.
Meanwhile, Brampton City Council voted in February to amend zoning bylaws designating the property for automotive assembly and related manufacturing, and Unifor is urging local and provincial officials to enforce it. Notbaly, the sale would affect roughly 2,200 Unifor members.
For its part, Stellantis said the sale aligns with its FaSTLAne 2030 strategy, which calls for disciplined management of its manufacturing footprint and approximately 80% capacity utilization across North America by 2030. Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa emphasized the company’s commitment to Brampton employees after three years of paid layoffs, and the company said it will work with Unifor on a fair resolution and is ready to negotiate a settlement for union-represented employees. Stellantis added that the defense partnership could open new opportunities as the U.S. government has approached domestic automakers about supporting military manufacturing, munitions production and vehicle supply chains.
