Nova Bus reinforces its presence in Quebec with expansion of its Saint-François-du-Lac plant

November 11, 2020 Corporate
Nova Bus reinforces its presence in Quebec with expansion of its Saint-François-du-Lac plant

Montreal, November 11, 2020 – Nova Bus, leading North American transit bus manufacturer, is pleased to announce an investment of $10 million dollars for the expansion of its manufacturing facility in Saint-François-du-Lac. The new addition, representing approximately 33 000 square feet, will allow the introduction of a laser cutting center and will support plans to expand production of its industry-leading transit buses. This investment is part of the transformation plan announced in 2017, which included the upgrading of the company’s Quebec plants, in particular through the automation of operations and the introduction of innovative energy-efficient processes and digital technologies

“The extension of our plant in Saint-François-du-Lac is consistent with our transformation plan and strategy to strengthen our position and remain the industry leader in Canada,” said Vincent Plante, Vice President Operations, Nova Bus. “This increase in the production capacity of our plant will meet the needs and requirements of our customers and contribute to the development of new markets in Canada and the United States.”

Nova Bus has been manufacturing the bus chassis and installing the floors in this plant since 1996. For the assembly and finishing, the structures are then transported to the Nova Bus facilities in Saint-Eustache or Plattsburgh, USA.

“Nova Bus continues to demonstrate its leadership in the ongoing transformation to energy-efficient and climate-friendly transportation systems, which is essential to achieving a sustainable economy. This direct investment is another building block in its long-term commitment to Canada, “said Ian McKay, Chief Executive Officer, Invest in Canada.

“The Municipality of Saint-François-du-Lac is proud to announce this important investment by Nova Bus, this is excellent news for our municipality,” said Mr. Pascal Théroux, Mayor of Saint-François-du-Lac. “This new project will have a positive impact on our entire region.”

In addition, Nova Bus is pleased to count on the City of Bécancour as a partner, with the use of its new industrial incubators for the development and manufacturing of prototypes during the construction period of the plant.

“The Drumco Construction team is honoured to have participated in the official groundbreaking to launch the expansion project of Nova Bus’ Saint-François-du-Lac plant,” said Yves Hamel, President of Drumco Construction. “For several months now, our team has been working closely with Nova Bus on the design-build of the project and we are very enthusiastic to begin the work and especially very proud to be building this major project.”

“We are thrilled to modernize our facilities and integrate new technological processes to produce vehicles that meet the needs of customers and transit users,” said Louis Côté, Senior Director, New Product Development & Business Transformation, Nova Bus. “We are also very proud to support the development of the innovative manufacturing sector throughout Quebec.”

This expansion demonstrates that a well-established manufacturing company in Quebec such as Nova Bus can, with determination and passion, promote and contribute to Québec’s economic growth. The investment in the Saint-François-du-Lac facility furthers Nova Bus’ commitment to Quebec, to manufacture state-of-the-art transit buses.

 

About Nova Bus

Nova Bus is a leading provider of sustainable transportation solutions in North America. Its portfolio includes electric buses and hybrid buses, high-capacity vehicles and integrated intelligent transport systems. As part of its Electro Mobility strategy, Nova Bus is moving forward with the electrification of key vehicle components to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. Nova Bus is part of the Volvo Group.

For more information regarding Nova Bus products and services, please visit www.novabus.com

 

For more information

Please contact Clémence Godfroy at 438-349-8227 or by email at