Linamar in Canada to Begin Construction of New EV Supply Plant Immediately

Canadian auto supplier Linamar Corp. has announced plans to build a new plant in Welland, Ontario that will house three giga-casting presses intended for the production of large aluminum structural parts for electric vehicles. Linamar CEO Linda Hasenfratz said that the plant will become a “flagship location” for the company’s structural castings business in North America. The new facility will be built on a brownfield site that once housed a portion of Union Carbide’s electrode production plant as well as the Page Hersey pipe mill, and is set to cover an area of 300,000 square feet with 200 employees. The first of the three giga-presses is slated for installation in January 2024, with production of the parts set for February 2025. Linamar’s significant investment in the facility will lead to the creation of high-pressure die casting and structural aluminum castings that are lighter and provide a less complex alternative to traditional steel stamping and weldments, according to Linamar COO Jim Jarrell.