Brampton takes aim at Putin with new $65M armoured vehicle plant supporting Ukraine’s fight against ‘Russian aggression,’ Mayor Brown says
Published March 8, 2024 at 2:20 pm
A Mississauga-based armoured vehicle maker that’s supplied over 1,000 vehicles to Ukraine’s fight against Russian invaders is now building in Brampton.
Rochel Inc. is one of the largest manufacturers of smart armoured vehicles in North America and is opening a new $65-million manufacturing plant in Brampton.
Rochel CEO Roman Shimonov says Brampton was “an easy choice” for the new 140,000 square-foot facility which features “vertically integrated manufacturing” housing all the painting, welding, and mechanical work needed to build vehicles like its Senator Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC).
It will also be home to the company’s research and development division and bring some 500 new jobs to the city.
Supplying vehicles isn’t the only way Rochel says it’s helping with the conflict in Ukraine, as the company has hired more than 250 Ukrainian refugees following Russia’s invasion of that country nearly two years ago.
“Not only are they doing great things around the world, even walking around here you see Brampton,” Coin. Dennis Keenan said while on a tour of the Rochel plant. “It’s almost like a little Brampton within Brampton, creating jobs – amazing jobs – and keeping people safe. Brampton’s the place to do it.”
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Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said the new facility “marks a significant milestone in our city’s economic development.”
“There’s no better example of this exciting economic activity than Rochel,” Brown said in a video announcing the project.
Brampton is booming. @RoshelDefence is investing $65M in our City with the opening of the largest armored vehicle manufacturing facility in #Canada 🇨🇦. They have already delivered over 1000 vehicles to Ukraine 🇺🇦 and they have employed 250 local Ukrainian refugees to build them.… pic.twitter.com/0PRltonJuF
— Patrick Brown (@patrickbrownont) March 8, 2024
In December 2023, Roshel said it had delivered over the thousandth Senator armoured vehicles to Ukraine. Rochel’s Senator APC can support a wide range of functions including as an armoured personnel carrier, mobile command and control units, law enforcement vehicles, and medical evacuation vehicles.
Rochel says the Senator can hold up to fire up to 7.62 mm calibre bullets at 30 metres, at a speed of 695 m/s. It can also be equipped with mine-resistant technology that can stand up to a 6 kg explosive activated under any wheel and beneath the centre of the chassis.
Brampton has deep roots within the Ukrainian community, with Brampton’s Larisa Galadza and daughter to the late Father Roman Galadza serving as Canada’s Ambassador to Ukraine during the start of the invasion.
Rochel isn’t without controversy, as The National Post reported in 2023 that the company allegedly committed “illegal acts” and broke anti-corruption laws to secure a sole-sourced contract with the federal government for $92-million for armoured vehicles headed to Ukraine, according to a lawsuit.
That led to a temporary work stoppage at Rochel, and the company has said it was cleared of any wrongdoing and filed a countersuit against a former executive.
Rochel has also provided vehicles to NASA, police forces, nuclear authorities and financial institutions.
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