Investment projects | Current in the air at Paccar

The giant Paccar is setting the table to swell the ranks of the Quebec electrification sector, we have learned The Press. This dominant player in truck construction is considering major investments in this direction at its Quebec complex in Sainte-Thérèse.

A sign that the project is serious, the American multinational registered with the Quebec register of lobbyists last month to request government assistance “the nature of which remains to be determined” for an “investment project” in the Laurentians.

The Legault government is receptive.

“Paccar is indeed in discussions with Investissement Québec on various development projects,” confirms the office of the Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy, Christine Fréchette, in a statement to The Press.

In the northern suburbs of Montreal, in the Laurentians, Paccar’s 425,000 square foot plant currently assembles medium-duty trucks (classes 5, 6 and 7) from the Peterbilt and Kenworth brands, which belong to the multinational.

Every day, nearly 75 trucks are assembled. However, they are all equipped with combustion engines.

It is difficult, for the moment, to have an idea of ​​the investment planned by Paccar in its Quebec facilities to take the electric turn. Quebec did not offer more details on the state of its discussions with the American giant. At the time of writing, the multinational had not responded to questions from The Press sent by email.

But the truck manufacturer clearly has ambitions for its Sainte-Thérèse complex.

Without announcing it publicly, the American multinational paid 26 million last May to become the owner of a 75,000 square foot industrial building located on rue Sicard, directly opposite its factory. The land covers almost 150,000 square feet.

Not a surprise

The truck manufacturer’s employees are well aware of its electric ambitions. At Unifor, which represents the factory’s employees, we know that it is not a question of “if”, but of “when”. It remains to be seen when Paccar will publicly announce its colors.

“We certainly see this in a positive light,” explains Patrick Laroche, vice-president of the local Unifor section. The company follows the market. We know they want to make electric trucks. There are training courses that will begin soon for mechanics on this. You need to be trained before you start. »

However, the exchanges between Paccar and the Legault government come at a less happy time for the employees of the Sainte-Thérèse complex.

Barely a year after being relaunched, the evening shift has already become a thing of the past since the start of the year in the Laurentians due to the slowdown in medium-duty truck deliveries at the American multinational.

Result: more than 300 layoffs have been made since last September. There were some 1,400 union members in Paccar’s Quebec facilities before the most recent wave of cutbacks.

The truck manufacturing giant still has work to do to electrify its entire product portfolio in North America. So far, its focus has been on tractor-trailers as well as a model for urban delivery.

Nevertheless, the American manufacturer deploys several hundred million annually in research and development. The trend is also increasing. Paccar expects to have invested up to US470 million in 2024, the envelope could reach US530 million this year.

“R&D is when we have good projects to work on, whether it’s new truck systems, connectivity, electronics or anything that will make our trucks more profitable for our customers », Underlined the CEO of Paccar, Preston Feight, last October, during a conference call with financial analysts.

The owner of the Peterbilt and Kenworth brands is discussing with Quebec against the backdrop of industrial peace in Sainte-Thérèse. Last November, Unifor and the employer agreed to renew the collective agreement for five years.