Automotive industry leaders and government officials say the $5-billion electric vehicle battery plant is transformational for the community.
On Wednesday, Stellantis and LG Energy Corp announced a joint venture to build a 4.5-million-square-foot plant in Windsor marking the largest automotive investment in Ontario's history.
"That investment, that $5-billion, will draw a whole bunch of infrastructure and a whole bunch of suppliers that will make that initial investment to supply LG Stellantis but will also be there for the next one," said President of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association Flavio Volpe.
It's expected that for each of the 2,500 positions at the plant another two to three positions will be created in the community.
"Those are the types of jobs that you can raise a family on, that you can build a future on," said Volpe. "The added value part of the automotive sector that regions like this will use to pull back from the brain drain that we always complain about."
Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens said the investment in a new facility in Windsor is a good sign for future investments at the Windsor Assembly Plant as well.
"Stellantis is our largest employer, there is a direct connection to the Windsor Assembly Plant with this battery factory, a positive connection that will see, hopefully, the future of Windsor Assembly Plant for decades and decades to come," said Dilkens.
But Stellantis COO Mark Stewart was not prepared to speak about future investments in the plant at Wednesday's announcement.
"That's not for today's discussion but in the coming times, we'll be having other discussions around that. But we're not ready to talk about that yet," said Stewart.
Stellantis and LG will break ground for the new plant on Twin Oaks Drive by the fall of this year. The plant is expected to be fully operational by 2025.