Advanced Manufacturing

Winnipeg serves as a significant hub for heavy vehicle manufacturing in North America and is home to market leaders in transit electrification, coach bus, fire truck and agricultural equipment manufacturing.

A few notable companies include:

• MacDon Industries – a world leader in technology, innovation, and manufacturing of high-performance harvesting equipment for over 75 years.
• Winpak – a leading provider of innovative packaging for food, beverages, healthcare products and machinery, with over half a century of experience.
• NFI Group – a multinational bus and motorcoach manufacturer leading the way in EV technology.
• Fort Garry Fire Trucks – Canada’s oldest and longest-running manufacturer of high quality fire trucks that are utilized throughout North America, and around the world.
• International Truck Body – designs and builds custom heavy-duty, rivet-less aluminum truck bodies using a patented Snap-Lock panel system.
• Versatile – a leading manufacturer of tractors and and tillage equipment that was founded in 1966.
• Eastside Group of Companies – founded in 1978, Eastside’s companies – which includes Eastside Industrial Coatings & Composites, Eastside Heavy Truck Collision, Eastside Collision Repairs, Eastside Fawcett Collision & Glass and Eastside Moray Collision & Glass – provides automotive collision repair, heavy commercial vehicle servicing, and industrial composite manufacturing.
• Canada Goose – internationally celebrated manufacturers of luxury outerwear.
• PTI Transformers – manufactures, designs and services large custom-engineered electrical transformers and power distribution equipment.
• Win-Shield Devices – designs and manufactures advanced PPE equipment for military, law enforcement, industry and healthcare professionals.

Winnipeg is a regional centre of innovation, boasting a vibrant ecosystem of researchers, organizations and educational institutions dedicated to supporting manufacturing companies.

University of Manitoba’s (UM) Price Faculty of Engineering offers nearly 20 engineering programs while partnering with co-op programs to connect early-career engineers with industry. It is a premier centre of engineering research.​

The UM campus is also home to C. Kuss research group, which develops new materials for energy storage and electrochemical applications., while adjacent to campus is the world-class Smartpark Research & Technology Park.

Winnipeg is also home to the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) advanced manufacturing research facility, which enhances R&D capabilities in digital manufacturing for local industries and academia.​​

RRC Polytech is the largest applied learning institute in the province, offering high-quality education and training. It is home to the Skilled Trades Technology Centre and the Innovation Lab, while the college collaborates with industry to produce workforce-ready graduates and applied research initiatives.​

RRC Polytech’s Technology Access Centre for Aerospace and Manufacturing (TACAM) provides cost-effective R&D, technical services, and training for the manufacturing industry, leveraging RRC Polytech’s facilities and expertise.​

Winnipeg is home to several post-secondary educational institutions that serve our advanced manufacturing industry. This includes RRC Polytech’s Price Institute of Advanced Manufacturing and Mechatronics, Vehicle Technology & Energy Centre (VTEC), and Smart Factory, along with the University of Manitoba’s Material Institute of Manitoba (MIM).

Both schools work closely with industry leaders to create skilled grads ready to take their place in the workforce, creating a tight-knit talent pipeline that continues to help drive Winnipeg’s economy.