Stellantis plant sale 'best thing that can happen' for jobs and Brampton: Roshel CEO

The chief executive of armoured vehicle manufacturer Roshel is firing back at critics of his company's deal to purchase the idled Stellantis plant in Brampton, Ont., defending it as "the best thing that can happen to this plant and to this city."

Roshel founder Roman Shimonov says he's surprised the government hasn't publicly supported the sale given his company's intention of creating thousands of jobs at the facility, and that he doesn't "see any reason to be opposed to that."

He says his Brampton-based company is willing to hire back some of the 2,000 Stellantis employees who were laid off from the plant when it halted operations in 2023.

Speaking at a news conference Monday evening, Unifor national president Lana Payne questioned why Roshel would choose the Brampton assembly plant and cast doubt that the defence contractor would need to hire as many workers that were employed there under Stellantis.

Stellantis announced the sale of the facility and associated equipment to Roshel for an undisclosed amount late Monday afternoon.

The companies say they expect the transaction to close by the end of this year, however it is subject to certain conditions, including government and regulatory requirements.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 10, 2026.

-- With files from Daniel Johnson in Toronto

By Sammy Hudes | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.