Ontario Strengthens Electric Vehicle Supply Chain With New Manufacturing Investment
CAMBRIDGE — The Ontario government is welcoming a significant investment by Dana Canada Corporation, a leading manufacturer in drivetrain and electric propulsion motor systems. The investment will be used to expand the company’s manufacturing capacity of thermal management systems, a key component for electric vehicle (EV) batteries and electronics, across its two facilities in Oakville and Cambridge.
“Our government is creating the right conditions for multinational manufacturers to grow in Ontario and create more good-paying jobs across the province,” said Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. “As Ontario continues to build an end-to-end EV and EV battery supply chain, our government is proud to support manufacturers like Dana in expanding their production capacity and increasing their competitiveness. Thank you, Dana, for continuing to choose Ontario.”
With operations spanning across 31 countries, Dana’s approximately $60 million (CAD) investment will position the Cambridge facilitiy as one of its primary manufacturing sites in Canada, in addition to supporting operational growth at the Oakville Technology Centre. These expansion efforts are expected to create 105 new, good-paying jobs in these communities and the surrounding area.
“Dana is grateful for the support we have received from the province of Ontario as we continue to grow our operations here to manufacture advanced technologies,” said Antonio Valencia, Dana President of Power Technologies and Global Electrification. “Dana’s thermal-management expertise has been led from our Technology Centre in Ontario since the 1950s, so it is exciting to witness the continued growth of this important technology in the province.”
To support this investment, Ontario will provide the company with $2.5 million through Invest Ontario, the government’s investment attraction agency. Dana’s expansion will play a key role in accelerating the province’s Driving Prosperity plan, a 10-year government strategy geared at transforming Ontario’s automotive supply chain and positioning the province as a North American leader in electric and battery EV manufacturing.
Over the last three years, Ontario has attracted over $27 billion in transformative investments from global automakers, parts suppliers, and manufacturers of electric vehicle batteries and battery materials. With a talented workforce, state-of-the-art research and development facilities and award-winning manufacturing hubs, Ontario continues to be one of the most competitive places for businesses to invest and grow.
Quick Facts
- Driving Prosperity: The Future of Ontario’s Automotive Sector positions Ontario as a North American leader in developing and building the car of the future through emerging technologies and advanced manufacturing processes.
- Vehicle assembly and auto parts production directly supports approximately 100,000 workers in Ontario, as well as hundreds of thousands of indirect jobs. Ontario’s auto supply chain comprises over 700 parts firms, over 500 tool, die and mold makers, and over 300 connected and autonomous companies.
- As part of the 2023 Ontario Budget, the government introduced the Ontario Made Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit, which provides a 10 per cent refundable Corporate Income Tax credit to help local manufacturers lower their costs, invest in workers, innovate and become more competitive.
- Through the Skills Development Fund, Ontario is investing more than $4.7 million to help over 360 technicians and jobseekers gain the skills they need to transition and launch their careers in the automotive manufacturing sector and emerging EV field.
- Invest Ontario is Ontario’s investment attraction agency. The agency pursues major investments that create good, high-paying jobs, promote innovation and stronger supply chains in key sectors including the automotive, advanced manufacturing, life sciences and technology sectors.
Quotes
"Dana’s reinvestment in Ontario serves as a strong endorsement of the promising opportunities that international companies can find in the province. Invest Ontario remains committed to backing investments that promote innovation across our entire supply chain and attract further investment into the province."
- Trevor Dauphinee
CEO of Invest Ontario
"Electric vehicles are re-making the automotive industry and its innovative companies like Dana that have made Waterloo Region a leader in Ontario’s growing EV supply chain. Congratulations to the whole Dana team on its impressive mandate. It was an honour for our team to work with you on this expansion alongside our partners at Invest Ontario and the City of Cambridge."
- Tony LaMantia
President & CEO of Waterloo EDC
"Cambridge has a long legacy as a home to innovative automotive manufacturing. This new investment shines a light on our community’s place as a leader in the electrified future of mobility. I would like to congratulate Dana on the beginning of an exciting new chapter for their operation in Cambridge."
- Jan Liggett
Mayor of Cambridge
"This very significant investment by Dana is terrific news for Cambridge and the province of Ontario as we continue to build on our plan to be the leader in electric and battery EV manufacturing. Job creation remains a top priority for our government, and it is thanks to partnerships with innovative leaders like Dana that we’re seeing unprecedented numbers of new jobs. Congratulations and thank you to the Dana team."
- Brian Riddell
Member of Provincial Parliament for Cambridge