New manufacturing facility opens in Tecumseh, expects to employ 35-50 people

A company that produces cameras and recording devices for commercial vehicles has just opened a new 18,000-square-foot Canadian manufacturing facility in Tecumseh, Ont.

Convoy Technologies Canada Ltd. expects to employ between 35 to 50 people at the location, according to a joint news release issued by the company, Invest WindsorEssex and the Town of Tecumseh. 

"I think we have …probably 12 or 13 people in the building right now full-time, " company President Ron Harker told reporters at a news conference announcing the facility. 

"And then that will expand rapidly as we open up additional production lines. …Over the next several years, we expect to hire another 20 to 40. Local folks. … The talent pool here in the region is incredible."

The company also plans to continue to invest in advanced automation technologies to "improve both product quality and manufacturing efficiencies," the release said. 

The announcement comes as the Windsor-Essex region is facing economic head winds caused by new U.S. tariffs on Canadian exports.

U.S. trade policy influenced move to Canada

The tariffs were recently blamed for Windsor regaining its position as the city with the highest unemployment rate in the country.

But Harker told reporters that U.S. trade policy was part of the rationale for bring Convoy's facility to Canada.

"Traditionally we've used contract manufacturing in China, as most companies in our industry do," Harker said.

"But with the recent changes in the relationship between the United States, specifically, and China, we felt that it was necessary to get our manufacturing out of China. And … while the United States and Canada are both doing a lot of posturing … I firmly believe that ultimately the two sides will work out a good trade deal that will make it very viable for companies to move products very easily back and forth between the countries." 

The Indiana-based company evaluated several locations including Mexico and Indiana prior to selecting Windsor-Essex for the new facility, the news release said.

It chose Tecumseh based on its proximity to the United States and the region's labour force expertise in advanced manufacturing. 

The company also cited the post-secondary institutions, collaboration opportunities and talent pipeline in Windsor-Essex as factors in its decision to locate in the region.  

The facility constitutes a $17 million investment by Convoy, according to the news release.

Invest WindsorEssex and the Town of Tecumseh began working with Convoy Technologies in September 2022. 

The province's Regional Development Program, Southwestern Ontario Development Fund contributed $324,000 to the project. 

"What Convoy has to offer is a brand new industry that we don't have here that's complimentary to what exists," Windsor-Tecumseh MPP Andrew Dowie told reporters at the news conference.

"In many ways, the sky's the limit. … This brings new jobs, these significant investments, and the opportunity to keep on growing our ecosystem." 

Convoy, which has its headquarters in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and an engineering office in Hong Kong, will conduct most of its research and development in Windsor-Essex and expects to launch several new and innovative products from the facility, the release said.

"We view this as gradually becoming the centrepiece of the company," Harker said.

"So as we build additional things like additional technical activity, additional production activity, all of those things will take place here."

The company expects to be building sellable cameras at the facility around July 24, Harker added.