Boeing 777 parts to be built at new Cambridge aerospace factory

A new factory that will build aerospace landing gear for Boeing airplanes is opening soon in Cambridge.

Héroux-Devtek, a Longueil,Que.-based company, already has a plant in Kitchener and is investing $47 million in the new Cambridge facility over five years.

Gilles Labbé, the president of Héroux-Devtek,​ said the availability of provincial funding and the success of the Kitchener plant helped motivate him to build another manufacturing facility in the region. 

"We have a very good factory in Kitchener and the people here have demonstrated many times their skill, especially making very large and highly complex parts," Labbé said.

Brad Duguid, Ontario's minister of economic development, employment and infrastructure announced on Thursday at the official inauguration of the facility that the province will contribute $7 million in funding for the plant.

"Héroux-Devtek has to compete...with other companies in other jurisdictions so we want to make sure that we're here as a government to partner, with our aerospace sector to land these contracts, maintain these jobs," said Duguid at the announcement. 

The new facility will provide 40 new skilled jobs to the region, ranging from machinists, to quality control technicians.

According to a release, this marks the first time that Héroux-Devtek is building the entire landing gear system for a commercial airplane. The landing gear that will be made in Cambridge are for the Boeing 777 and the new Boeing 777X jetliners. 

Héroux-Devtek said the factory is expected to be fully operational in June.