BRP building $55M plant in Mexico to meet growing ATV demand

VALCOURT, Que.—Quebec-based recreational vehicle maker BRP Inc. has announced plans to build a new $55-million plant in northern Mexico, the company’s third manufacturing facility opened there since 2001.

According to BRP, the new facility in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, just across the United States-Mexico border from El Paso, Texas, will be used to build Can-Am off-road vehicles to meet future demand.

“The off-road industry is strong and growing fast and our Can-Am all-terrain and side-by-side vehicles continue to make inroads in the market place. We are investing in a new facility to meet future demand and in expectation of entering new ORV segments,” BRP president and chief executive José Boisjoli said in a statement.

“This investment will also provide us with space for the potential insourcing of certain operations, and will bring logistics closer to our manufacturing operations.”

Construction of the 500,000 sq.ft. plant is expected to kick off in the coming months, with manufacturing operations expected to begin by the end of 2015.

The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2017.

BRP said the facility could employ as many as 900 people when complete.

The company’s third plant in Mexico and its second in the border city, Juarez was a “logical choice” given BRP’s existing operations there.

“Both plants will be geographically close to each other,” vice-president of Mexico operations Sylvain Blanchette said in a statement.

“The culture and values of BRP are well established among our employees and we have a strong talent pool in Juarez.”

It builds Can-Am vehicles and Rotax engines at its existing Juarez plant, a 410,000-sq.ft. facility that employs 1,500 people.

BRP’s other Mexico plant, a 600,000-sq.ft. facility about 1,600 kilometres south in Queretaro, employs more than 600 people and is home to Sea-Doo watercraft and Rotax engines.