Amid global turmoil and economic fears about the American trade war, 1,100 new auto jobs are coming to Windsor.
A day after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered sweeping global tariffs, Taiwan-based Minth Group announced Thursday that construction of its $300-million parts plant in Windsor will finish by September.
Referencing Trump’s claim that the start of tariffs would be America’s Liberation Day, Minth officials said the timing of the announcement was a coincidence.
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“I don’t want to encourage that particular American here, but I do feel a little bit liberated,” said William Chin, Minth’s chief strategy officer, mocking Trump’s claim.
“I think we are one of the few companies that have persevered through this very difficult business environment. We didn’t plan this day to be after the announcement. But I guess God made it happen like this, and we’re very happy here.”
The 379,415 square-foot plant is phase one of a multi-building manufacturing campus at 5000 Cabana Road East, on about 54 acres of land near Windsor International Airport.
Chin said the plant will be built by September, with mass production to begin by the end of 2026 or early 2027.
Phase one of the operation, production of battery housing units for electric vehicles, will create about 1,100 new jobs.
Chin said phases two and three will likely add production of plastic and metal trim parts such as tailgates and bumpers. Job numbers for future phases depend on demand, he said.
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“Whatever the customer needs, we invest for our customers,” said Chin. “So all the big automakers, whatever they need us to make from here, we will make it.”
Company officials, politicians, and business leaders attended a ceremony Thursday under the canopy of the massive plant, which is currently under construction.
Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens, Windsor-Tecumseh MPP Andrew Dowie, Essex MPP Anthony Leardi, and Keith Andrews, Chief Operating Officer of Invest WindsorEssex, were among the dignitaries to speak at the event.
The provincial government helped land the investment with a $40-million loan through the Invest Ontario Fund.
“It’s during times like these that the strength and resilience of our region shine through,” said Andrews. “The efforts of our local municipal leaders, our government partners and industry leaders should be recognized for the dedication and commitment to fostering continued economic growth, no matter the challenges.”
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According to Joe Goncalves, Interim CEO & President of Invest WindsorEssex, his office started working with the Minth Group in September 2023.
While development of the plant has been in the works for a couple of years, Dilkens Thursday’s announcement took on extra significance, given current global tensions.
“I’m delighted today to be here with the team to celebrate this remarkable investment at a time that a lot of us are saying, ‘Boy, we’re a little cautious about what’s going on with Donald Trump — all the things happening around the world, the things that we can’t control,’” said Dilkens. “But the things that we can control. Boy, are we doing it really well here in Windsor-Essex.”
Minth has a workforce of more than 25,000 employees at 77 plants and offices in 14 countries. The company makes parts for about 70 automobile brands around the world.
The Windsor plant is Minth’s first Canadian manufacturing facility.
Chin said he’s not concerned about Trump’s trade war because he’s confident auto parts compliant with the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) will be excluded from tariffs — though Trump’s plans for that have yet to crystalize.
“North America together is one economic entity,” said Chin. “You can only bring out the strength of North America by working together. Three countries together. We believe in that. And even though there were many doubts, we still continue.”
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