The automotive assembly plants in Cambridge (and surrounding areas) employ more than 8,000 workers. The automotive supply chain in Cambridge has also grown quickly due to the 12 automotive assembly facilities in Southern Ontario (all within driving distance from Cambridge), including the following Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs):

  • Toyota
  • Chrysler
  • Honda
  • GM
  • Ford

View a map of automotive assembly plants in Southern Ontario.

Learn more about the Province of Ontario's Automtove industy 

Learn more about key sectors in the city of Cambridge.

History

In 1985, Toyota chose Cambridge for its new manufacturing plant to produce the Corolla in Canada. Today, that plant also produces the Lexus RX 350 and Lexus RX 450h. This location has now grown to more than three million square feet and an additional production facility has opened in nearby Woodstock for the Toyota RAV4.

Toyota's award-winning assembly operation in Cambridge has been recognized multiple times with J.D. Power Awards. It's also the first plant outside of Japan to produce a Lexus vehicle.

In addition to automotive assembly, Cambridge has a supplier base that supports the automotive sector and others. We are known for contributing to southern Ontario's automotive industry, which includes more than 700 parts suppliers and more than 500 tool, die and mould makers.

Automotive suppliers

Below is a list of Cambridge companies that supply or service the automotive sector.

AGS Automotive Systems

AGS Automotive Systems is a Tier 1 and 2 supplier in the automotive industry. The company offers services for:

  • Chrome plating
  • Injection molding (press tonnages from 300 to 2,200 tonnes)
  • In-house design for metals and plastic
  • Exterior Class A painting (metal and plastic)
  • Metal stamping (press tonnages from 100 to 2,500 tonnes)
Anchor Danly

Anchor Danly offers the following services:

  • Die sets and accessories
  • Blanchard grinding
  • Machined steel
  • Steel plate fabrication
  • Stress relieving
Barrday Inc.
Barrday Inc. makes advanced industrial textiles and textile-based products for protection, filtration, recreation, aerospace and other industrial applications. Their services include finishes, textures and specialty coatings, as well as composite materials and lightweighting products for the automotive industry.
Canadian General-Tower Ltd.
Canadian General-Tower Limited (CGT) makes automotive trim materials, flexible vinyl products, pool liners, pond liners, containment membranes and roofing membranes.
Craig Manufacturing
Craig Manufacturing makes, repairs and assembles heavy equipment attachments for loaders, graders and excavators.
Dana Holding Corporation
Formerly Long Manufacturing, Dana Holding Corporation makes automotive heat exchangers and battery coolers for electric vehicles.
IMT Corporation

IMT Corporation makes engineered metal components and offers services for a variety of industries. Services include:

  • Closed die forgings
  • Press forgings
  • Precision machining
  • Heat treating
  • Nitriding

IMT is known worldwide for producing trailer axles, suspensions and components. The corporation has also been manufacturing for the defence industry since the Second World War and continues to offer a full range of defence related products.
Letco Limited

Letco Limited makes replacement parts for snow removal equipment and grading equipment from carbon steel, heat treated boron steel and carbide tipped steel. The company also developed the sectional carbide tipped blades and shoes. Their product line includes:

  • Snowplow blades
  • Grader blades
  • Ice blades, shoes, noses
  • End blocks
Maple Automotive Corporation
Maple Automotive Corporation assembles wheels for Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Inc.
MDA Filtration Inc.
MDA Filtration Inc. makes custom filter vessels and skids. Accredited by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the company uses U and UM stamps and serves the oil, gas, aviation and general industrial sectors.
MGC Manufacturing Inc.
MGC Manufacturing Inc. sells and designs products used to manufacture foam in car seats for seating manufacturers throughout North America. Cambridge has a state-of-the-art sewing department and presses for die-cutting cloth and vinyl components with custom-cutting capabilities.
New World Friction
New World Friction makes disc brake pads for the aftermarket sector.
Pride Bodies Ltd.
Pride Bodies Limited designs and makes mechanic truck bodies that are custom built to customer specifications or standard specifications.
Pro Hydraulics Inc.
Pro Hydraulics Inc. makes engine and power transmission equipment.
Shu-pak Equipment Inc.
Shu-pak Equipment Inc. makes garbage collection equipment.
Tailor Welded Blanks of Canada, Inc.

The Tailor Welded Blanks of Canada, Inc. (TWB) serves General Motors, Chrysler and several Tier 1 automotive suppliers. The company's product lines include:

  • Tailor welded blanks
  • Engineered blanks (curvilinear or 2D)
  • Tailor welded coils
  • Hot formed tailor welded blanks
  • Aluminum tailor welded blanks
Tenneco Cambridge
Tenneco Cambridge makes exhaust systems for the automotive industry.
TI Automotive Group
TI Automotive Group makes fluid systems.
Tigercat Industries Inc.
Tigercat Industries Inc. designs, manufactures and sells mechanized logging equipment.
Toyota Tsusho Canada Inc.
Toyota Tsusho Canada Inc. supplies automotive parts.
Trade-Mark Industrial Inc.

Trade-Mark Industrial Inc. is an industrial, commercial and institutional multi-trade contractor specializing in:

  • Millwrighting
  • 3D construction
  • Rigging
  • Electrical
  • Piping
  • Machining
  • Fabrication
  • Structural
  • Sheet metal
  • HVAC installations and repairs
  • Electric motor sales and service
True Gear and Spline Ltd.
True Gear and Spline Limited makes all types of gears.

Research and Development

There are thousands of leading scientists working at more than 24 auto-focused public research facilities in Ontario.

Ontario universities also offer a number of qualified Masters and PhD candidates who are available to apply their superior skills to manufacturing projects.

Research centers located near the city of Cambridge, include:  

  • University of Waterloo, Centre for Automotive Research
  • McMaster University
    • Initiative for Automotive Manufacturing Innovation (IAMI)
    • Brockhouse Institute for Materials Research
    • General Motors of Canada Centre for Automotive Materials and Corrosion Centre for Mechatronics and Hybrid Technologies (CMHT)
    • Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy
    • CANMET Materials Technology Laboratory
    • McMaster Automotive Research Centre
    • McMaster Manufacturing Research Institute
    • McMaster Steel Research Centre
  • University of Windsor
    • Centre for Engineering Innovation
    • Fluid Dynamics Research Institute
    • Intelligent Manufacturing Systems
  • Western University

Training and education

Institutions in and around the Cambridge area offer training and education for the automotive sector, including: