News
Leibherr Group to expand Laval facilities
July 20, 2010, Montreal - Liebherr Group of Switzerland will be expanding its facilities in Laval to accommodate the assembly and testing of the landing gear for Bombardier's CSeries aircraft.
July 20, 2010 By CNW
Liebherr-Aerospace Canada, which receives support from Montréal International, the Québec Ministry of Economic Development, Innovation and Export Trade, Invest Québec,Canada Economic Development and Laval Technopole, plans on hiring about 35 employees. The announcement of this investment, valued at more than CDN$9 million over the next three years – $3.8 million of which are for capital expenditure – was made today at the Farnborough International Airshow in England.
Liebherr-Aerospace develops and manufactures air management systems, flight controls, actuation systems and landing gears. These systems are installed on business and commercial aircraft, helicopters and military aircraft. Over the years, the company has showcased its technological know-how by taking part in several large-scale programs for several aircraft manufacturers, including Airbus (notably by equipping its entire aircraft family) and Bombardier Aerospace.
"Bombardier is a very important client for Liebherr-Aerospace & Transportation SAS. Its CSeries aircraft program, in which we are involved with the landing gear and air management systems, represents a significant stake for our division. Liebherr-Aerospace Canada's expansion is part of our ongoing commitment to Bombardier Aerospace, which began in 1994 with the Global Express aircraft program, and has since been regularly stepped up with each new program. Our relationship with Bombardier has been strengthened through continuous search for performance, efficiency and productivity, as well as the proximity of our teams, which is the highest priority for Liebherr-Aerospace Canada. We believe that this investment in Liebherr-Aerospace Canada will contribute to the success of the CSeries aircraft program and we are proud to bring our support for Bombardier Aerospace to the next level," said Liebherr-Aerospace & Transportation SAS President, Francis Niss.
"We are very pleased to welcome this major project to our territory and we are proud to be taking part in it. This announcement further reinforces Montréal's position among major international aeronautics centres. For a few years now, we have been working very hard to create a competitive environment to attract major industry players here, in the Québec aeronautics cluster. Our efforts have paid off; today, Québec is ranked sixth in the world in terms of sales and the aeronautics sector has become a true economic engine," said Minister of Economic Development, Innovation and Export Trade, Clément Gignac.
"Laval contributes to the Greater Montréal industrial base, as illustrated by the arrival of Liebherr on our territory in 2002. We are particularly pleased about Liebherr's planned expansion because it confirms the company's commitment to Québec and Canada, and because it fits perfectly with Laval's efforts to develop an added-value economy. Laval's growth is increasingly the result of expansion by businesses already established here, as shown by the industrial investment results," said the Mayor of Laval, Gilles Vaillancourt.
"The Laval expansion of an industry-leader such as Liebherr reinforces the reputation of Greater Montréal as a world-class centre of high knowledge in the aerospace sector. The company will benefit from the many advantages offered by the aerospace cluster, notably, abundant and highly skilled labour," underscored the President and Chief Executive Officer of Montréal International, Jacques St-Laurent.
