Companies to Explore Future Business Opportunities in the Defence Industry
November 9, 2026 , Brampton, Ont. - Stellantis, a leading global automaker, and Roshel, a Canadian-based defence technology company, today announce an Asset Purchase Agreement under which Roshel will acquire the Brampton Assembly Plant and associated equipment from Stellantis for an undisclosed amount.
The companies are also establishing a strategic cooperation framework to explore future global collaboration opportunities across vehicle technologies and related services in the defence industry.
Today’s announcement will create a path to return Brampton Assembly Plant to productive industrial use, while also:
Furthering Stellantis’ FaSTLAne 2030 strategy
Supporting the continued growth of the Canadian defence manufacturer
Creating potential new joint business opportunities for the two companies
The transaction is aligned with Stellantis’ FaSTLAne 2030 strategy to strengthen long-term competitiveness through disciplined management of its manufacturing footprint with the goal to achieve approximately 80% capacity utilization across North America in 2030.
“Brampton employees have made lasting contributions to Stellantis, and we take our responsibilities to them and their families seriously. After three years of paid layoff, we remain committed to working with Unifor on a fair resolution,” said Antonio Filosa, Stellantis CEO. “With this announcement, we are driving forward our broader strategic goals, opening new opportunities for Stellantis in the defence industry and creating a path to return the Brampton facility to productive industrial use.”
“Our plan is to create a new Centre of Excellence for advanced manufacturing, which will allow Canadian companies to better serve customers at home and export into allied markets. Aligned with Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy, it will strengthen our sovereign industrial capabilities, drive local economic growth and bring much-needed manufacturing space and jobs to the Toronto area,” said Roman Shimonov, founder and CEO, Roshel. “We look forward to working collaboratively with government and the broader community to bring this vision to life.”
Stellantis acknowledges its obligations to employees under the collective agreement and applicable laws. The company remains prepared to engage with Unifor to negotiate a settlement to assist union-represented employees.
Stellantis continues to maintain a significant Canadian presence across vehicle manufacturing, casting, research and engineering, and automotive components, including Windsor Assembly Plant, Etobicoke Casting Plant, the Automotive Research and Development Centre in Windsor and its CpK operations. In addition to Brampton Assembly Plant, Stellantis employs more than 10,000 Canadians.
The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2026, subject to closing conditions, including applicable government and regulatory requirements.
Stellantis
Stellantis (NYSE: STLA / Euronext Milan: STLAM / Euronext Paris: STLAP) is a leading global automaker, dedicated to giving its customers the freedom to choose the way they move, embracing the latest technologies and creating value for all its stakeholders. Its unique portfolio of iconic and innovative brands includes Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroën, Dodge, DS Automobiles, FIAT, Jeep®, Lancia, Maserati, Opel, Peugeot, Ram, Vauxhall, Free2move and Leasys. For more information, visit www.stellantis.com.
Roshel Inc.
Roshel Inc. is a Canadian defence technology company headquartered in Brampton, Ontario, specializing in the design, engineering, and manufacturing of smart armoured vehicles. With over 2,500 vehicles deployed to Ukraine and a growing global footprint, Roshel is recognized as one of North America’s leading producers of protected mobility solutions. Roshel’s vertically integrated manufacturing model provides in-house ballistic steel processing, transparent armour production, armoured capsule engineering, drivetrain integration, and complete mission system upfitting – enabling industry-leading delivery timelines and comprehensive lifecycle support across MRAP, APC, medical evacuation, recovery, and counter-drone vehicle configurations.
Noah Note: Admittedly, this is one I had been waiting for. By now this sale was about the worst-kept secret out there, with Stellantis and Roshel both not hiding the desire. Of course, more details will be revealed in time. I will respectfully wait on Roshel to speak for themselves on the matter.
I do know that there are plans, and I am confident in hearing the plans as they have been described to me. Roshel were far from the only people going after this plant. They were the ones who moved quickest and most publicly, but they were one of at least half a dozen buyers that I have heard had interest. There were other serious negotiations going on, but in the end, it is Roshel who have come out on top.
Of course, this stings for many, and my heart goes out to those affected by this whole ordeal. The fact we are in this case is itself sad, that we have been so harshly hit and our automotive industry continues to take a beating. I won’t speak on that stuff, as, again, I don’t feel it’s my place to speak for anyone on this topic.
For Roshel, it is the cherry on top of an absolutely massive year of expansion for them. The company has been one of the most active movers on the scene, definitely in the top five in terms of the absolute scale of growth they’ve undertaken this year.
In terms of new customers, Mexico selected the Senator after a series of trials with its armed forces and National Guard late last year, trials also including the JLTV, TPS Black Mamba, KIA KLTV, and ETTS VTL.
Moldova signed for over 100 new Senators for its National Army, over €50 million through the EU’s European Peace Facility, due by May 2027. These ain’t the first Senators to end up in Moldova either, with deliveries from last year, but from what I know they are very well loved.
Paraná state in Brazil picked the Senator for its police forces this year too, and Chile’s army has it in the running against the JLTV. Guam also took its first Senator late last year. The company this year also continued deliveries to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and keeps supplying Haiti’s security forces, with the Haitian Army fielding Senators since last November.
Roshel is also finding significantly more business in the United States. The Senator (and other assorted conversions) is slowly climbing the list of popularity among security firms, law enforcement, and other special agencies south of the border. Of course, Roshel doesn’t announce sales really, which can make tracking a bit hard, which is why we have False over at r/RoshelArmor, so they can doomscroll their way to cataloguing everything!
The company’s lineup also got a serious refresh this year too, with platforms like the new Senator LUV, another F-550-based platform for the company, and the smaller cousin to the Senator.
The SENLUV pairs a lightweight add-on armour kit with a V-shaped hull, all within the F-550 footprint. The kit swaps out key components like the doors and windows for armoured versions, and according to Roshel it takes about two hours with minimal heavy equipment to bring it up to STANAG II ballistic and blast protection.
It comes in single and double cab, runs the 6.7L V8, and takes the same options as the Senator: manual or electric turret, night vision, run-flats and CBRN protection. It also carries upwards of 4t, which is still absolutely insane to me. From what I know, it’s the only such vehicle in its class.
The Senator is a great platform, same with the SENUP. What the SENLUV provides is a more domestic, minimally modified platform that fits better for a lot of the backend, domestic roles that someone might need to pursue on a day-to-day basis.
The less you modify, the more you can tap into the benefits of utilizing a commercial chassis. Modify too much? You lose out on the supply, talent, and support network that benefits a lot of these platforms. Roshel could also benefit here from the Super Duty ramp-up in Oakville, being only about 20 minutes from their main Brampton facility, though for now the F-550 chassis cabs still come out of Ohio.
The SENLUV wasn’t the only change, though. Roshel also launched a soft refresh of most of their lineup, expanding with new variants and chassis for most of their existing offerings.
The SENUP got a recovery variant. That one’s far from new, mind you. It’s been rumoured since 2023, when we reported it was one of the variants most requested by the Ukrainians. We’ve seen how a lack of recovery capability can quickly turn into a disaster in Ukraine. It’s a platform I wish we had seen being marketed three years ago, but I’ll take it now over anything. Almost any PMV, in my opinion, should have an equal recovery variant available beyond just a winch system.
The SENUP also got a new indirect fire capability with the integration of the ST Engineering Ground Deployed Advanced Mortar System, or GDAMS, onto the platform. A highly mobile 81/120mm mortar system. It’s 700 kg with a 1.8-metre barrel, can be fully deployed or stowed in anywhere from 15 to 25 seconds for shoot-and-scoot, and only needs a two-person crew.
It hits up to 15 rounds per minute for three minutes, then four rounds a minute sustained for up to 20 minutes, out to 9 km. A hydromechanic hinge lowers the baseplate directly onto the ground so almost no recoil gets into the host vehicle. We also got a SENUP integrated with L3Harris’s Vampire system. It shoots Hydras, makes drones and sometimes things on the ground go boom. Fairly simple.
There is a Captain Pickup, finally. I have wanted a Captain pickup forever. I am very, very happy to see it come to fruition. The Captain itself also got another chassis to be integrated onto in the Ford Ranger Super Duty, with a 1.5-ton payload, STANAG 2 ballistic and STANAG 1 blast protection.
The Senator Medevac also got its first actual configured concept at CANSEC this year, pairing a Frestems evacuation system with the ProMil Wheels one-man, 38 kg stretcher. I got the demonstration and was seriously impressed by how responsive it was and how light the stretcher was. Certainly an upgrade over something like an LSVW, I’ll say that much. The Senator 8x8 is still in the works too, as well as the company’s own line of electric vehicles built on their own chassis.
The company has also spent this year building out one of the more complete industrial bases in the sector. The largest domestic move has been the company’s new JV with Algoma Steel, Roshel Algoma Defence Solutions, which was by far one of the more surprising moves of the year. Of course, I guess I shouldn’t have been too surprised. Roshel has been trying hard not just to build themselves a domestic source of ballistic steel, but to position themselves as Canada’s premier provider of ballistic steel across the entire industry.
That’s on top of their other existing partnership with Sweden’s Swebor to establish a domestic ballistic steel capacity utilizing Swebor’s existing supply chain and IP. RADS sits up in the Soo, is set to support over 500 workers, and is aimed at LUV, DAME, ships, etc. Not just Roshel’s supply chain, mind you, but a pan-Canadian capacity for ballistic steel.
Roshel, of course, has good reason to be looking into local sources for its ballistic steel, with LUV now looking at nearly 3,000 potential vehicles initially as part of LUV Phase II to replace the G-Wagon. It presents an opportunity for someone like Roshel with the resources and mandate to quickly corner the market, especially with locking down a major player like Algoma with the experience, a newfound excess of capacity and a strong government backing them to push into the defence sector.
Steel is only one piece of it. Centigon joining Roshel Group is also an absolute sledgehammer for the company when it comes to new markets and capacity. For those who don’t know about Centigon, let’s recap a bit. Like Roshel, Terradyne, Cambli, Inkas, and the rest of our usual suspects, Centigon is an upfitter and conversion shop, up-armouring existing vehicles and converting commercial chassis into armoured vehicles.
It employs about 140 people in Lamballe and made about €36.6M in revenue last year. This acquisition includes Centigon France SAS, Centigon México and Centigon Glass in Colombia. They armoured the Presidency’s new DS N°7 and the Peugeot 5008 before it, and the GIGN has utilized the company’s Fortress 200 Intervention, an armoured Land Cruiser, since 2017.
They also unveiled their own Senator analogue at Eurosatory with Raven, an APC designed specifically for the RAID and BRI, France’s elite police units. Like the Senator, Raven sits on an F-Series (F-600) chassis, with a 6.7L PowerStroke making 330 hp, a 10-speed gearbox, and room for 8 to 10 operators. Centigon has also armoured Scania truck cabs for the Danish and Dutch armies.
Centigon México brings its own line of converted trucks, including the F-Series-based Centurion, Alacrán, and now Fox and the Land Cruiser 79-based Puma family, among others, plus two additional plants in Mexico. That gives Roshel a domestic support capacity right as they start supplying Senators to the Mexican Army and National Guard. Centigon Colombia brings in-house ballistic glass.
Probably most interesting, though, in terms of capacity and in-house infrastructure, Centigon’s ballistic range and lab in France becomes a shared engineering resource for the company, providing them a new capacity for in-house testing before going through the certification process.
Throw in RADS and Swebor, and that’s steel, glass, ballistic testing, cabs, and new relationships with both the French government and Scania, with Scania providing an existing multi-year framework for armour kits. All of this would be under one roof, one of the few companies globally with this kind of capacity in-house. There is also the Daimler MOU, which we talk about very often, I know.
That MOU covers the Zetros, Unimog, Arocs and FGA platform families, with everything from knockdown kits to in-country assembly on the table. The goal is to jointly develop, produce, market and support protected and armoured vehicles for NATO and allied customers. It also landed the same week Daimler launched Daimler Truck Defence as its own global brand, aiming for a billion euros in defence revenue by 2028, so they’re clearly serious about this market now.
Daimler brings the platforms, the industrial scale and its global service network. Roshel anchors the armour side, from ballistic steel and armour plate to ballistic glass, capsule engineering, drivetrain integration and up-armouring, plus the mission systems on top: comms, ISR, counter-drone and medical.
Capacity before then was also backed by Roshel agreeing to buy International’s Springfield, Ohio facilities. An over 2-million-square-foot facility on 500 acres, providing another full assembly line and paint booth. That deal closed October 2nd. (Also on top of Roshel’s already existing Michigan factory.)
This particular factory was producing the CV Series with GM; however, with the Silverado Medium-Duty being sunset, the factory has been left with little use. Roshel plans to make it their hub for U.S. production of commercial, special and armoured vehicles. What exactly comes out of there is still yet to be seen.
Add it all up and that’s new facilities in France, the United States, Mexico and Colombia. That isn’t counting Brampton, nor its collaborations in Ukraine and Czechia. It’s also another sign, if you needed it, that Roshel is not done yet with their aggressive expansion, far from it.
Of course, aggressive expansion has risks, big ones, and those will always exist immediately after such deals close. Roshel has done a lot in the last year, but now it has to support it and keep it sustainable. This capacity also does put some pressure on the company’s existing Canadian operations. Thats now multiple Canadian facilities, several smaller, boutique facilities in France and Mexico, and new facilities in the States all coming very, very close to each other.
Do I think Brampton is only tied to LUV? No. Do I think there are deeper plans? Absolutely. I can think of several potential avenues. Roshel has been developing theor own chassis for several years now, have new product lines planned, and is looking to expand not jist in the defence market, but still deeper into the commercial sector. LUV still hasn’t been decided, which is a risk.
Yet all of this? Nearly 3,000 Senators to Ukraine, customers on several continents, factories across North America and Europe, new major partnerships across the defence space, a massive expansion of in-house capacity, Roshel did it without Canada buying a single vehicle for ourselves. Without a CAF contract to back the company.
In four years, the company has gone from a small Canadian manufacturer to a true international company. That in itself already feels wild, but it’s also as close to the concept of self-made success as things like the DIS keep trying to build industry towards, a Canadian company that not only exports but becomes a truly global presence.
It’s hard to argue that Roshel isn’t at this stage now, and it is impossible to not put them up as the kind of archetype the federal government is pushing with the Defence Industrial Strategy. A company that has been successful, that has secured IP, that has built its portfolio, and is willing to make major investments in Canada and the Defence Industrial Base.
There are few companies over the last few years who can say they have achieved that for themselves, fewer who have done it with little Canadian support. Roshel is not the only one, but they sure are the one who has pushed it through the last year.
Again, I don't know the full plan. I hope we will be able to get a much clearer picture of things and the plans for Brampton now that the deal is out there. Until the full details are laid out, I can not fully speak on impact and such.