Formet Industries in St. Thomas last month celebrated a quarter-century of automotive frame production employing advanced hydroform and robotic technology.
On a tour of the facility with city officials, myFM spoke with general manager Phil Page about staying ahead of the technology curve with the automakers they serve.
Page adds the automakers work very much in partnership with Formet on the design and ultimately the output of those frames at the Cosma Court facility.
It’s a team effort at Formet Industries in St. Thomas, not only with their 1,600 employees but also with the automotive customers they serve. That has allowed the firm – a division of Magna International’s Structural Systems Group – to flourish in St. Thomas for 25 years.
Another key player in the Formet success story, explains Page, is the team of more than 1,000 robots.
In addition to automotive frames, Formet is now involved in the production of battery enclosures for electric powered pick-up trucks.
Battery enclosures, which all battery electric vehicles require, house high-voltage batteries, electrical components, sensors, and connectors. Page stresses they have to get onboard with the EV market.
With the addition of these battery enclosures now being manufactured at the St. Thomas facility, we asked Page if there is room for expansion at Cosma Court.
Moving forward, one factor in winning new contracts with the automakers is the trust built up with parent Magna over the years, notes Page.
Magna has 49 manufacturing facilities with more than 18,500 employees throughout Canada.
Written by Ian McCallum
