Thunder Bay Business June 2012 Bombardier 2

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THUNDER BAY BUSINESS JUNE 2012

THUNDER BAY BUSINESS JUNE 2012

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Thunder Bay’s Bombardier Plant Experiences Growth!

The Bombardier Transportation plant in Thunder Bay has been operating on their current site for 100 years now, with the last 20 of them as Bombardier. Today is a great time for the world-class plant. It was fun to sit down with new plant manager Rene Lalande, Vice President Thunder Bay Bombardier Transportation, responsible for sales in Ontario and western Canada, and learn about the tremendous growth they have experienced in the last few years.

that they want for a total workforce of 1400. “ It is a lot of new people, young faces joining our company. In modern days it is a lot of employees. Wartime I think we reached 5000 employees at this location but then mechanization was very limited. Today with our mechanization this is about as much employment as we can expect out of the current footprint of the plant. The shop is used to it’s absolute maximum to the point where we don’t hold all the incoming material and have an external warehouse where we hold supplies as we don’t have enough room in this plant. “ Said Lalande.

Rene is a native of the Mt Tremblant area in the northwest region of Quebec that he feels is not that far in terms of look and feel from this region here. He has been with Bombardier for 7 years based previously in Montreal and Mexico and now in Thunder Bay. Rene is a mechanical engineer by training and previously worked for Pratt Whitney Canada and several other companies. He moved to Thunder Bay last

“Our building is 553,000 square feet in size and our acreage is large enough so we could grow further. Before we would take a decision to expand the building though we have to look at the sustainable market.

This business is by nature a lot like the building construction business where you have contracts but don’t have a product you keep forever. We are trying to change that with the Bi Level. It is a product

BY SCOTT A. SUMNER

Thunder Bay BUSINESS

Rene Lalande, Vice President Thunder Bay Bombardier Transportation, the limit of the existing foot print.” said Lalande.

Bombardier has other plants similar to Thunder Bay but not the same. One of the local specialties they do is the aluminum shell. The bi-level is aluminum and Thunder Bay is the only plant in North

November. “ This is the largest plant we have in North America and the third largest in the world as we speak for Bombardier Transportation. The aerospace sites at Bombardier in our other division tend to be larger, for example say in Downsview where we have about 4000 people working there for the Q 400. They also do some fuselage parts for another aircraft we manufacture,” said Rene Lalande. “ In Thunder Bay we have 1300 people working which is very, very, high historically in terms of people and in terms of the scope that we covering. We are currently working on three different contracts. The Rocket subway contract for the city of Toronto is a very impressive project and we are about 1/3 of the way into the production. We are also doing the Bi Level as a continuous production and will increase the pace of the production at the end of this month to satisfy the needs of our customers. Next summer we are changing that production for a new version. The third vehicle we do is the light rail; the streetcar for the Toronto and that is just starting. We will be delivering the first prototype September 7th of this year and 2 more prototypes before year-end. Then we will go through a technical validation period of 9 months and start the production.”

It is a very exciting time at Bombardier Thunder Bay with a lot happening. They have had to hire over 600 people over the past 18 months and are still in hiring mode needing about another 100 people to be at the full capacity and production volume

where we sell the same product and have sold over 1000 of them over 30 years. My vision for the plant is to have two very strong platforms that will carry us through tough times and good times with a strong basis of activity and employment for the plant in the years to come. After that you have the additional volume like the Rocket subway contract which could push us past

America that does that work. It requires a lot of expertise, not only in terms of the machines, but also with the people. The other site is in Vienna, which does the work for Bombardier in Europe.

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THUNDER BAY BUSINESS JUNE 2012

Bombardier Celebrating Two Anniversaries in Thunder Bay 20 years of business and 100 years of history Bombardier Transportation is celebrating two major milestones in Thunder Bay this

June. Bombardier will join together with its employees and the community to commemorate 20 years of business history and 100 years as a manufacturing site.

Originally established in 1912 as The

Canadian Car and Foundry Company, the Bombardier plant has evolved to become the cornerstone for manufacturing in Thunder Bay. In 1992, this historic plant became part of the Bombardier global family and has enjoyed 20 years of business success.

Bombardier will also showcase its history through various displays, presentations and publication materials.

A major highlight for the Thunder Bay community will be the Public Open House and Birthday Party, to be held on Saturday

“Bombardier has several special events planned to mark these historical milestones and we want the community to celebrate with us,” said Rene Lalande, VicePresident, Bombardier Transportation, Thunder Bay Business Unit.“ We want to acknowledge our employees past and present, our customers, our suppliers and the community at large for supporting Bombardier and a long legacy of manufacturing successes in Thunder Bay.”

Between June 24th and June 30th, Bombardier will host a series of employee and community events. The week will include a Retiree’s Reunion Breakfast, an Employee Birthday Barbeque and a Community Partners Appreciation Evening.

June 30th, from 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. The event will include plant tours and outdoor family entertainment.

“As we celebrate Bombardier’s first 20 years in Thunder Bay, it gives me a huge sense of pride knowing that our employees will continue to build upon our heritage of community involvement and contribute significantly to the local economy,” said Raymond Bachant, President, Bombardier Transportation, North America. “We look forward to building further momentum for our business, our customers and Thunder Bay.” Bombardier currently relies on a workforce of more than 1,200 employees in Thunder Bay. The plant is the Centre of manufacturing expertise for the BiLevel commuter rail cars in Canada and the USA. Most recently in 2011, Bombardier celebrated the 1000th BiLevel car manufactured in Thunder Bay.\

THUNDER BAY BUSINESS JUNE 2012

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Bombardier Thunder Bay Employees Raise Over $60K for Local Charities Bombardier Transportation employees in Thunder Bay are not just busy manu-

facturing innovative trains; they are also making a positive difference in the local community. In 2011, the Bombardier Thunder Bay Employee Fund (originally known as the 4 C’s) contributed $60,500 to 25Å@different charities in Thunder Bay.

“The commitment of our Thunder Bay employees to the local community is truly inspiring;” said George Gasbarrino, Director of Human Resources, “the Employee Fund is making a significant difference in the lives of thousands of families in Thunder Bay and their efforts show that Bombardier employees are world-class.”

The Bombardier Thunder Bay Employee Fund is organized by a volunteer committee which encourages employee contributions through payroll deductions and other annual activities.

Recipient charities in 2011 included the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation, George Jeffrey Children’s Centre, Lakehead Search and Rescue, Northern Cancer Research Foundation, Thunder Bay & District Humane

Society, and the largest contribution of $13,562 to the United Way of Thunder Bay.

The Canadian Car Consolidated Charities Fund ( 4 C’s )was originally established in 1947. There was a need

to create a way to give back after World War II, in efforts to provide assistance to coworkers in need.

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THUNDER BAY BUSINESS JUNE 2012

Retiree’s’ Reunion Breakfast Bombardier Thunder Bay retiree’s are invited to attend a special Retiree’s’ Reunion Breakfast on Wednesday June 27th, 2012 from 9:00am-10:30am.

Bombardier Thunder Bay extends this invite to all former employees to acknowledge their contributions in building our

business.

The morning will include special messages, networking with old friends, a breakfast buffet, a tree planting ceremony and a photo opportunity.

charge for retiree’s, but attendees are required to RSVP. Spaces are limited so please register by Friday June 15th, 2012 to: Kristina Baraskewich

Tel: (807) 767-4443 ext 234 Email: krsitina@firedogpr.com What`s Your Bombardier Story?

Firedog Communications The Retiree’s’ Reunion Breakfast is free of

As Bombardier Thunder Bay prepares to celebrate its 20/100th anniversary, we are asking employees past and present to share the stories, photos and objects that tell their story.

Tell us your story...

Tell us a funny, anecdotal, interesting or moving story about your time and experiences at Bombardier in Thunder Bay or Can-Car that came before it.

Please feel free to submit as many stories and items as you wish. Submissions can be sent in writing to: Stephanie Ash by email at: stephanie.ash@ca.transport.bombardier.com or by mail to:

What`s Your Story c/o Human Resources, Bombardier Thunder Bay, 1001 Montreal Street, P.O. Box 67, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7C 4V6.