ABB to invest in Canadian R&D and manufacturing

To expand the R&D and production capacity of its power protection and grid resilience technologies in Canada, ABB has announced an investment of more than CA$130 million (around US$100 million) that will combine existing Iberville and Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu facilities in Quebec at a new greenfield location in the South Shore region of Montreal.

ABB says this development will enable the company to meet increasing demand in key growth industries, including utilities, renewables, transportation, and residential and infrastructure projects throughout Canada.

The new 340,000ft² manufacturing and R&D facility will be more than 33% larger than the two locations it replaces and will incorporate advanced production automation and digital technologies. Combining the existing ABB operations at Iberville and Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu will bring more than 600 existing employees from manufacturing, R&D, engineering, testing and support functions into one location, with further jobs added as new product lines are introduced and production increases.

Global growth strategy
Khalid Mandri, ABB’s president of Installation Products, said: “Our investment will support our future growth in Canada, as demand increases with customers focused on grid resilience, power distribution and renewables, and in new transportation, buildings and infrastructure projects. The teams in our new facility will deliver products and innovation that will help power businesses and homes throughout the country. Together with recent investments made in the USA and in Europe, the opening of this new facility will be a key part of our global growth strategy.”

The new site is expected to open in mid-2027 and will be expected to reduce energy consumption and cut carbon emissions by over 95% compared with the two existing facilities. The project is supported by funding of CA$16 million ($12 million) from Investissement Québec.

Today, more than 80% of solutions sold in Canada by ABB Installation Products are made or assembled domestically, using 70% locally sourced materials — including 100% Canadian steel and aluminium. This is ABB’s largest investment to date in Canada. Over the past decade the company has invested around $275 million in its Canadian operations to support advanced manufacturing, innovation, and workforce development.