Stellantis has officially handed the keys of its Brampton Assembly Plant in Ontario to Roshel, a defense manufacturer specialized in building armored vehicles. The historic factory, which lay dormant for years while waiting for a promised electric Jeep revolution, will no longer produce family SUVs. Instead, worker coveralls are staying firmly in the closet as the facility pivots to war machines for an undisclosed sum. From the Jeep Compass to heavy combat armor, all while promising future tech collaborations between the empire and military defense services.
The background to this transaction reads like a textbook masterclass in corporate ghosting. Back in 2023, more than 2,000 auto workers resulted laid off when vehicle assembly came to a screeching halt. Brampton was supposed to undergo a triumphant conversion to manufacture new Jeep models starting in early 2024. But by early 2025, Stellantis hit the brakes, suspended the project, and quietly shifted Jeep Compass production to Illinois.
Naturally, contract negotiations with Unifor, the union representing over 9,000 Stellantis employees across Canada, stalled, leading to a fiery September strike authorization vote passed by a staggering 97.3 percent margin. Unifor President Lana Payne didn’t mince words, branding the deal a sneaky backroom betrayal and labeling the factory sell-off as the absolute nightmare scenario for local manufacturing.
While Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa pointed to three years of paid layoff benefits and promised to negotiate a fair outcome with Unifor, Roshel CEO Roman Shimonov envisioned transforming the site into an advanced manufacturing center of excellence that could rehire between 700 and 1,000 former Stellantis workers. Meanwhile, Stellantis plans to lease back about a quarter of the footprint for remaining automotive activities, provided the deal closes by year-end.
However, Canadian government officials are ready to crash the party. Industry Minister Mélanie Joly warned that commitments to workers cannot end wiped away and vowed Ottawa will claw back its public subsidies if Stellantis breaks its promises.
With Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown demanding taxpayer funds back and Canadian leadership threatening serious fallout, Stellantis’ transition from SUV maker to defense partner is shaping up to be a brutal political battlefield.