Canadian armoured vehicle maker Roshel Inc. will buy the Stellantis assembly plant in Brampton, Ont., the automaker announced Monday.
Roshel will acquire the idled facility and associated equipment from the automaker for an undisclosed amount, Stellantis said.
The companies say they are also exploring future collaboration across vehicle technologies and related services in the defence industry.
In a news release, Stellantis said the announcement will “create a path to return Brampton Assembly Plant to productive industrial use.”
The news comes after Unifor, which represents Canadian workers at Stellantis, said it met with Stellantis on Friday to ask about reports that the plant had been sold and said the company would not confirm or deny if a sale had been finalized.
Stellantis said it acknowledges its obligations to workers under their collective agreement and is prepared to engage with Unifor to negotiate a settlement.
“Brampton employees have made lasting contributions to Stellantis, and we take our responsibilities to them and their families seriously. After three years of paid layoff, we remain committed to working with Unifor on a fair resolution,” Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa said in the release.
Stellantis signs MOU with Canadian armoured vehicle maker on potential sale of Brampton, Ont., plant
The move opens “new opportunities for Stellantis in the defence industry,” Filosa added.
In September, Stellantis signed a memorandum of understanding with Roshel for a potential sale of the facility.
More than 2,000 workers were laid off from the Brampton plant when it halted operations in 2023.
In August, the union said it received notice that Stellantis was considering the closure and sale of the plant. The facility had been slated to be retooled for Jeep production, a process that began early in 2024, before the company paused the plan in early 2025.
It later announced it was moving production of the Jeep Compass to the U.S., in what the union called a violation of its current collective agreement, leaving the plant idled indefinitely.
A handful of Unifor members gathered outside the Brampton assembly plant on Monday to show support for the union after the sale was announced. (Dana Roberts/CBC)
Industry Minister Mélanie Joly said in a statement that the decision to sell the plant doesn’t “erase the commitment” that Stellantis made to its workers.
“We remain focused on finding solutions for the more than 2,000 affected workers and their families. They deserve answers, respect and, above all, a secure future,” Joly said.
Joly said the parties involved must return to the bargaining table. She said she has reached out to representatives from Stellantis, Unifor, Ontario government and the Brampton plan to hold a meeting later this week.
“I expect them to come to the table with a single focus: protecting good-paying jobs in Brampton,” Joly said.
“For Brampton’s auto workers, walking away is not an option. We are unequivocal in our efforts to defend and grow Canada’s auto sector in Brampton and across the country.”
Unifor officials are expected to respond to news of the sale later Monday.
