The Nova Bus company, responsible in particular for the production of electric buses for several Quebec transport companies, will lay off 125 employees by the end of the year, confirmed The duty.
The move follows a decision to close the company’s Plattsburgh assembly plant and delivery center by 2025, with Nova Bus announcing plans last year to stop producing buses for the U.S. market for financial reasons.
“This decision requires us to adapt the size of our organization to this new reality to become a more profitable and competitive company. These layoffs are linked to a restructuring that was necessary following the closure of this factory,” explains Nova Bus public affairs advisor Alexandrine Gauvin, in an email sent to Duty Monday.
The company, owned by the Volvo group, intends to concentrate its activities in its factories in Saint-François-du-Lac and Saint-Eustache, in Quebec, in order to build and assemble buses for the market. canadian. An “evolution” of the company’s business model which will result in the layoff of 125 employees working at its Saint-Eustache plant by January 2025. This represents more than 9% of the workforce Quebec work of the company, which has 1,350 employees in the province.
“This restructuring will, however, have no impact on our electric bus production capacity at our factories in Quebec,” assures Ms. Gauvin, who recognizes that these layoffs “may give rise to concerns and uncertainties.”
Multiple contracts
The company obtained a contract worth approximately two billion dollars last year to build up to 1,230 electric buses which will be sent to nine public transport companies and a public transit agency in Quebec. These electric buses will notably serve the Société de transport de Montréal, as well as transport organizations operating in the suburbs of the metropolis as well as in the cities of Trois-Rivières, Quebec and Saguenay, among others. The first buses will be delivered over a few years, starting in 2025.
The company also won a contract last year to build up to 541 electric buses for the Toronto Transit Commission.
“The satisfaction of our customers remains our top priority,” continues Alexandrine Gauvin, who assures that Nova Bus takes “all the necessary business decisions to ensure the continuity of our operations in Quebec and maintain our leading position in the Canadian market.” .