Management and staff at Martinrea in Ridgetown unveiled their new stamp press at an event July 9.
The 3,000-tonne press was years in the making and, according to officials, showcases the company’s long-term commitment to being in Ridgetown.
A stamping press of this size allows Martinrea to form larger and more complex metal components such as engine cradles and control arms. In Ridgetown, they are making elements for multiple vehicles from multiple companies on both sides of the border.
Don Gillier, general manager of the Martinrea plant in Ridgetown, said components for the Chevrolet and GMC heavy trucks as well as the Jeep Grand Cherokee, vehicles that are built in Ontario and Michigan, are made in Ridgetown.
Gillier said the local stamp press is the third of four such presses Martinrea has across North America, with two more in Mexico and another in Kentucky. It is also the second largest press of its kind in Canada.
Expanding the plant to accommodate the press and to purchase the SIMPAC unit involved a $35-million investment from Martinrea. The company added a 34,000 square-foot expansion onto its Ridgetown operation.
“It allows for the production of larger and more complex parts or stamping for our customers,” Giller said. “It allows Martinrea to address the high demand for lightweight and high-strength metal solutions in the global automotive industry.”
Stuart McFadden, director of economic development with the municipality, was happy to see the project come to life.
“It shows a huge confidence in the community of Ridgetown and the plant they have here and the people they have here,” he said.
McFadden said it is also a sign Martinrea is committed to Ridgetown and Chatham-Kent for years to come.
“This is a huge investment that’s giving them a runway of 10, 15 or 20 years,” he said. “There’s nothing the industry can’t throw at them that they can’t handle.”
East Kent Coun. Morena McDonald attended the announcement. A tour of the new stamping press area left her impressed.
“When you drive by industries in Ridgetown or any of the small towns, unless you work there or have some sort of experience with it, you have no idea what goes on inside. But today, seeing this 3,000-tonne press, it’s cool to see a huge investment in our town,” she said. “It’s really exciting to see a business like Martinrea invest in Ridgetown. We’re used to being such a small community, but when big businesses invest here, it means a lot to us.”
The project persevered through the threat of tariffs, and produces products utilized in Canada and the U.S. In fact, Martinrea CEO Pat D’Eramo said the plant is at a crucial location in terms of automotive parts supplying.
“This plant is actually closer to most of the Detroit assembly plant than our Michigan plant,” he said.
Investing in Ridgetown made sense for Martinrea. Officials credited the ability to work out a four-year labour agreement with Unifor, which represents the plant’s employees, was an intrinsic element of the decision to invest.
“That flexibility is the key for the future. I think we could have more growth here as well,” he said. “This makes us very proud to be a part of this community. It makes it a lot easier to invest when you have this type of situation.”
CUSMA – the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement, recently lapsed, leaving companies wondering what the future will hold as U.S. President Donald Trump threatens new tariffs with very familiar past trading partners such as Canada. D’Eramo urges people to lobby for CUSMA to be renewed.
“It allows the supply base, including this plant, to cross borders – despite all the tariff talk – tariff-free, essentially. It’s very critical to our business in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico,” he said. “Any time you have a chance to advocate for that agreement, please feel free to perpetuate it.”
Gillier said the Ridgetown location has continued even with the tariff threat.
“That has been a challenge. We’re still battling it today,” he said. “But we are still supplying parts to the U.S. as well as Canada.”
That includes aluminum heat shields for GMC’s heavy trucks, a contract which Martinrea earned in Ridgetown. The heat shields are used in truck production in Oshawa as well as Flint, Mich., he said.
“You can do business in Canada in the midst of a tariff challenge.”
Trevor Jones, MPP for Chatham-Kent–Leamington, said the installation of the press shows how Martinrea officials believe in work on this side of the border.
“This represents confidence in Ontario and Chatham-Kent. Our region continues to be one of the best places to invest, manufacture, grow and raise our families,” he said. “Martinrea’s nearly $35 million investment is a significant commitment to the future of advanced manufacturing here in Chatham-Kent.”
