Latest news with #Wildeboer
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Here's a plan to fix Canada's auto sector as its biggest customer tries to turn away
Canada's auto sector has been moving backward for the past decade, with overall vehicle production dropping 45 per cent to about 1.3 million vehicles last year from 2.4 million in 2014, but it's now facing perhaps its biggest challenge yet: its biggest customer, the United States, says it no longer wants Canadian-made vehicles. 'It's unprecedented,' Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association, an industry lobby group, told an audience at the Canadian Club in Toronto on Wednesday about President Donald Trump saying his country does not want Canadian-made vehicles anymore. 'We don't have a negotiating table and I actually don't know what the next step is.' Volpe was joined by Rob Wildeboer, executive chairman of Martinrea International Inc., one of Canada's largest auto-parts companies, and others to discuss whether Canadian policymakers could help create a self-sufficient homegrown auto industry, how to support existing companies and what an ideal regulatory situation would look like. 'We're used to being punched in the face,' Wildeboer said, recounting how the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the 2008-09 financial crisis and the pandemic's supply chain challenges have hobbled the sector in the past. More recently, the Trump administration repeatedly threatened to impose tariffs and then followed through in early April with 25 per cent tariffs. Wildeboer said he travelled to Washington, D.C., twice, even making it inside the West Wing, to meet with Trump's top policy advisers, whom he warned that the North American auto production system is so integrated that any tariffs on Canadian or Mexican auto parts would quickly shut down production. He said the advisers took notes and eventually listened, as far as auto parts tariffs go, at least so far. Nonetheless, automakers have already warned the tariffs on finished vehicles will eat up billions of dollars in profits at a time when they face the costly task of reinventing themselves as the electric vehicle transition accelerates. 'That's the nature of how policy is going,' Wildeboer said. 'In my view, if you try to figure out one word for it, I would call it incoherent. That doesn't mean that we can't lurch towards something that's really good.' What 'really good' could look like at its simplest, he said, is completely free trade on auto parts in North America, and more rules around using only North American parts in vehicles, with higher penalties for non-compliance. Wildeboer also said there need to be new rules that penalize automakers from Europe, Japan, Korea and elsewhere that sell a lot of cars in North America, but don't manufacture here. However, he said Chinese automakers and parts companies need to be kept out of the market. 'They cheat,' he said, saying their companies receive too many government subsidies for Western companies to compete. Volpe made similar points about renegotiating a free trade agreement that brings more auto production back to North America, but he also characterized the industry's problem as a failure of imagination. In 2023, he spearheaded Project Arrow, which made a prototype vehicle entirely from Canadian parts. It was not made as a potential product for sale, but more as a publicity stunt to show people the depth and breadth of the industry and spur entrepreneurs to imagine what is possible, he said. Volpe said the federal and provincial governments, mainly in Ontario and Quebec, have spent the past several years wooing foreign automakers to build out an electric-vehicle supply chain in Canada by offering tax credits and other financial incentives that could add up to tens of billions of dollars. Honda reveals delay of $15-billion Canada investment part of shift in EV strategy EV sales in Canada dropped sharply in March, even as broader market grows The country should at least study whether it could create a national automaker, he said, noting that Vietnam has its own EV company and that the nature of the EV transition may even create a market opportunity for such a company. 'Let's have a national ambition in industrial policy and in the posture with which we lean into the wind,' Volpe said. • Email: gfriedman@ Sign in to access your portfolio
Calgary Herald
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- Calgary Herald
Here's a plan to fix Canada's auto sector as its biggest customer tries to turn away
Canada's auto sector has been moving backward for the past decade, with overall vehicle production dropping 45 per cent to about 1.3 million vehicles last year from 2.4 million in 2014, but it's now facing perhaps its biggest challenge yet: its biggest customer, the United States, says it no longer wants Canadian-made vehicles. Article content 'It's unprecedented,' Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association, an industry lobby group, told an audience at the Canadian Club in Toronto on Wednesday about President Donald Trump saying his country does not want Canadian-made vehicles anymore. 'We don't have a negotiating table and I actually don't know what the next step is.' Article content Article content Volpe was joined by Rob Wildeboer, executive chairman of Martinrea International Inc., one of Canada's largest auto-parts companies, and others to discuss whether Canadian policymakers could help create a self-sufficient homegrown auto industry, how to support existing companies and what an ideal regulatory situation would look like. Article content Article content 'We're used to being punched in the face,' Wildeboer said, recounting how the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the 2008-09 financial crisis and the pandemic's supply chain challenges have hobbled the sector in the past. Article content More recently, the Trump administration repeatedly threatened to impose tariffs and then followed through in early April with 25 per cent tariffs. Article content Wildeboer said he travelled to Washington, D.C., twice, even making it inside the West Wing, to meet with Trump's top policy advisers, whom he warned that the North American auto production system is so integrated that any tariffs on Canadian or Mexican auto parts would quickly shut down production. Article content Article content Article content He said the advisers took notes and eventually listened, as far as auto parts tariffs go, at least so far. Nonetheless, automakers have already warned the tariffs on finished vehicles will eat up billions of dollars in profits at a time when they face the costly task of reinventing themselves as the electric vehicle transition accelerates. Article content Article content 'That's the nature of how policy is going,' Wildeboer said. 'In my view, if you try to figure out one word for it, I would call it incoherent. That doesn't mean that we can't lurch towards something that's really good.' Article content What 'really good' could look like at its simplest, he said, is completely free trade on auto parts in North America, and more rules around using only North American parts in vehicles, with higher penalties for non-compliance. Article content Wildeboer also said there need to be new rules that penalize automakers from Europe, Japan, Korea and elsewhere that sell a lot of cars in North America, but don't manufacture here.
Yahoo
16-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Inside a Modern Waterfront Mansion in Ontario That Doubles as a Private Forest Retreat
Ten years ago, architect Malcolm Wildeboer stood on a remote plot of land in Ontario, looking out over the calm waters of a tree-ringed lake. Surrounded by hemlocks, with an open blue sky above him, he homed in on an ideal location for his client's future house. Near the waterfront, with the potential for lake views from every room—yet secluded from neighbors' sight lines—the spot had a natural clearing where Wildeboer envisioned a clean-lined contemporary structure built with minimal disturbance to the surrounding landscape. 'There's an incredible specimen forest of hemlock,' says Wildeboer, cofounder of Ottawa's Vandenberg & Wildeboer Architects, referring to the position near the lake. 'The client and I share a deep passion for the outdoors, for the woods, so throughout the project we worked to protect the trees, which was paramount to him.' More from Robb Report Ice Baths Are All the Rage. We Tested Out a $15,000 Tub and Here's What Happened. Driving Shoes Are Now the Ultimate Leisure Footwear How F1's Tech Innovations Are Changing Medicine, Athletics, Aerospace, and More 'A disturbed site was viewed as a lost opportunity to showcase harmony with nature in our build,' the homeowner says, noting that he and his family had been searching for a location for years before they found this roughly 20-acre property on which they planned a multiphase project with several new buildings. 'From the first walk of the site, it was clear that the perfect homestead location was, at last, discovered.' Working with Wildeboer and Toronto-based design studio ACDO, the client described his vision for a materials-forward house inspired by the communal spirit of traditional lodge retreats (the family loves to entertain large groups) but with the modern sensibility of a contemporary hospitality project. The design was also heavily influenced by its bucolic setting. Comprising 10,000 square feet over two wings (one public and one private) and three levels, the house is united through a simple yet elegantly realized palette of concrete, locally sourced soapstone, and smoked wire-brushed oak. 'You get to see a human hand in there,' says Abraham Chan, a founding partner at ACDO, about the meticulous artisanal details, which include a custom-designed soapstone floor. 'We deliberately did an interesting jigsaw pattern with it just to showcase this notion of craftsmanship in the project.' With soaring, 24-foot-high ceilings, the living and dining area is central to the home's public wing—and the client's love of hosting dinner parties. At one end sits a massive concrete volume with an embedded fireplace and a hidden set of stairs that leads to the guest bedrooms. 'It's a very important structural element to the whole project,' Wildeboer says. 'We have this incredible great room, this soaring ceiling, and all the structural loading is coming back to this fireplace, and to the kitchen wall [which is also concrete]. Those two structures are the fundamental core of the building; then we have this very light, ephemeral space in between.' On one side of the common space, a custom Christophe Delcourt dining table can seat up to 18 people. The rest of the room is measured out into four separate seating areas that include a game table and spacious Living Divani sofas, while two Man of Parts swivel chairs designed by Yabu Pushelberg (Chan and Sam Khouvongsavanh, ACDO's other cofounder, worked at the Toronto firm for several years) provide a cozy option for a midafternoon tête-à-tête. Underfoot, a custom 28-by-40-foot rug from Creative Matters was designed to look like four separate pieces, further emphasizing the zones within the room. 'The carpet was a way to absorb sound and create a bit of softness and connect all the seating areas,' says Chan, who notes that they used wooden beams overhead and intermittently along the windows 'to create that warmth between the floor and ceiling' in a room with prominent concrete and stone details. 'There's actually a function behind that, because we put in acoustic panels,' he continues, 'and that helped mitigate the cavernous quality of the space.' The kitchen sits opposite the dining area, nestled into the second structural concrete volume. Here, the wire-brushed oak cabinetry (all millwork in the house was custom-made by Erik Cabinets) pairs with emerald quartzite, which makes up the bespoke island, countertops, and backsplash. 'When it came to color, we peppered it throughout the project,' says Khouvongsavanh. 'We're trying to create these interesting details within this monolithic space.' The designers used unique stone varieties elsewhere—laying Alexis Ondulato and New Titanium marble in the bathrooms and covering all four walls of the second-level office with the kitchen's green quartzite—to create a strong but streamlined visual impact. 'I think this is a good example of the client's style,' says Khouvongsavanh. 'He's being bold but refined with this really graphic stone.' According to the homeowner, from the project's start, 'the interior was curated to represent the journey through a forest.' Each of the guest bedrooms is a different configuration (one has foot-to-foot beds, another a set of bunks), but they all have considered details such as ensuite bathrooms, luggage nooks, and integrated reading lights to ease a guest's stay. 'If you look at the four different rooms, you're going to notice that they all have a different palette,' says Chan. 'And that was our fun way of designing the rooms around identities of the different seasons that you find in eastern Ontario.' The home's lower level is focused on entertaining. A cozy cinema with oversize Montauk sofas is a favorite escape on a rainy day, and a large walk-in wine-storage room with backlit shelving and sliding-glass doors is a popular stop when friends visit. Once again, Chan and Khouvongsavanh implemented stone in the room, this time in granite with a tumbled finish, to layer in texture and connect the interiors to nature. 'You get that rough finish,' says Chan, 'like you would find in the mountains.' Although the client and his family don't reside in their woodland getaway year-round, they don't classify it as a vacation dwelling. 'Our hearts and minds never leave the home,' he says, noting that its intersection of beauty, functionality, and relationship to the surrounding environment perfectly fulfill their wish to share the property with those they hold close. Best of Robb Report The 10 Priciest Neighborhoods in America (And How They Got to Be That Way) In Pictures: Most Expensive Properties Click here to read the full article.
CNN
05-02-2025
- Automotive
- CNN
This firm employs thousands in Canada, the US and Mexico. Here's what its workers think of Trump's tariffs
In the hours before Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a 30-day pause on US President Donald Trump's threatened 25% tariff on Canadian goods, the co-founder of one of Canada's largest auto parts manufacturers was bewildered. 'Why blow it up?' Rob Wildeboer, executive chairman at Martinrea International, asked CNN. 'I don't know anyone in our company who wants tariffs between Canada and the US, because we work very well as a unit.' Martinrea manufactures a wide range of parts for large car companies including Volvo, Stellantis and Ford. The company employs around 19,000 people across the world, with most of its workforce in Canada, the United States and Mexico. 'We take care of our people everywhere,' Wildeboer said, showing CNN around the floor of his factory in Vaughan, Ontario, a small city just outside Toronto. Canada is the United States' closest trading partner, with exports and imports alone adding up to nearly a trillion dollars a year. The trade surplus rests at about $40 billion in Canada's favor, according to the US Congressional Research Service. Trump exaggerated this figure at Davos last month, incorrectly claiming that the US has a $200-$250 billion trade deficit with Canada. Mike Bradley, the mayor of a Canadian city that borders Michigan, speaks to CNN's Becky Anderson about the drastic consequences of the tariffs Trump wants to impose on Canada. 'With respect to the so-called trade deficit,' Wildeboer said, 'If you take out cheap oil, which US refineries refine and make a ton of money, the US actually has a trade surplus.' Moreover, the exchange in auto parts between the two countries, Wildeboer explained, is pretty much even, give or take a few million dollars. 'Canada is the largest purchaser of US goods,' Wildeboer continued. 'We're a big customer. At the end of the day, I think you'd want to keep a customer.' Prior to Trudeau's announcement that the tariffs were on hold, workers at Martinrea told CNN they felt confident in the government's response. The prime minister had threatened tit-for-tat tariffs against American goods. Several provinces pulled American alcohol from government-owned liquor stores. Elon Musk was a notable target – hours before Trump and Trudeau had their last-minute negotiations Monday afternoon, Ontario premier Doug Ford 'ripped up' the province's contract with Musk's company Starlink. Sultan Egebesci, originally from Turkey, has lived in Canada for four years and has worked at Martinrea for three. She considers the company her 'second family.' 'Of course, I'm worried,' Egebesci told CNN when asked about the looming possibility of a trade war with the United States. But she said was trying not to stress out too much. 'I know when we do everything together, everything gonna be fixed,' Egebesci said of Canadians. 'Everything can be fixed.' Egebesci is encouraged by the movement to 'Buy Canadian,' and told CNN that when she shops, she first looks for a 'Made in Canada' label before making a purchase. 'I feel confident,' said Pisey Lim, another Martinrea employee. 'I really trust the company.' Her friends at other companies nearby, however, 'feel a little bit nervous.' 'They're scared they might lose their job,' Lim said. 'They see in their work, it's quite less work. Some people stay home.' Naitik Jariwalla, who's worked at Martinrea for three years, said he was worried about the possibility of losing his job, but thought Canada was 'taking the right steps.' 'The government has been prepared for almost a month now,' Jariwalla said. 'I have hope for Martinrea.' However, Jariwalla predicted that the issue wouldn't go away anytime soon. It's time, he said, to dig in. Canada should stand up to the United States 'even if it hurts a bit.' 'It may take one or two years to settle down,' Jariwalla told CNN. 'But this is a good time for Canada to support their legs and stop relying on another country. I think it's going to be good for Canada. I think Canada can grow.' 'It's gonna hurt anyhow,' Jariwalla continued. 'Either you deal with it right now, or in the future.' Despite the Canadian flags hanging on the factory walls, Martinrea is in some ways an American company, too. Wildeboer points out that the company employs twice as many people in the US as in Canada, particularly in Michigan, where Trump won a slim majority in 2024. 'We're a big deal locally,' Wildeboer said. 'We take care of a lot of people. I would say that a lot of those people like President Trump and they like his message: lower inflation, more jobs, strong economy. But with the tariffs and so forth, you're getting higher inflation, less jobs, weaker economy.' The executive guessed that those employees might change their mind on the president's agenda come midterm elections in two years. That said, apart from his position on tariffs, Wildeboer admitted he understands much of Trump's message about Canada. 'A lot of what President Trump or the Americans have said to Canadians has a lot of merit,' Wildeboer said. Trudeau's initial announcement that the tariffs were paused for 30 days focused almost exclusively on Canadian investment in border security and fentanyl mitigation. Though less than 1% of fentanyl trafficked into the US comes from Canada, Trump has fixated on the prospect of opiates streaming in over the northern border. In a recent 'Fact Sheet,' his administration claimed that there exists 'a growing presence of Mexican cartels operating fentanyl and nitazene synthesis labs in Canada.' In response, Trudeau has agreed to appoint a 'Fentanyl Czar' to deal with the issue. The prime minister even said that Canada would follow the US in declaring cartels as terrorist organizations, though Mexico's president said she considers the US designation unhelpful. 'In the context of fixing our border, dealing with fentanyl or immigration, I think that the vast majority of Canadians agree,' Wildeboer said. 'I think most Canadians would agree that we should spend more on our military. We should defend our Arctic. We have Chinese planes and Russian planes flying over our land. At the end of the day, that's our land. We should protect it. We should protect it with the United States.'
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
This firm employs thousands in Canada, the US and Mexico. Here's what its workers think of Trump's tariffs
In the hours before Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a 30-day pause on US President Donald Trump's threatened 25% tariff on Canadian goods, the co-founder of one of Canada's largest auto parts manufacturers was bewildered. 'Why blow it up?' Rob Wildeboer, executive chairman at Martinrea International, asked CNN. 'I don't know anyone in our company who wants tariffs between Canada and the US, because we work very well as a unit.' Martinrea manufactures a wide range of parts for large car companies including Volvo, Stellantis and Ford. The company employs around 19,000 people across the world, with most of its workforce in Canada, the United States and Mexico. 'We take care of our people everywhere,' Wildeboer said, showing CNN around the floor of his factory in Vaughan, Ontario, a small city just outside Toronto. Canada is the United States' closest trading partner, with exports and imports alone adding up to nearly a trillion dollars a year. The trade surplus rests at about $40 billion in Canada's favor, according to the US Congressional Research Service. Trump exaggerated this figure at Davos last month, incorrectly claiming that the US has a $200-$250 billion trade deficit with Canada. 'With respect to the so-called trade deficit,' Wildeboer said, 'If you take out cheap oil, which US refineries refine and make a ton of money, the US actually has a trade surplus.' Moreover, the exchange in auto parts between the two countries, Wildeboer explained, is pretty much even, give or take a few million dollars. 'Canada is the largest purchaser of US goods,' Wildeboer continued. 'We're a big customer. At the end of the day, I think you'd want to keep a customer.' Prior to Trudeau's announcement that the tariffs were on hold, workers at Martinrea told CNN they felt confident in the government's response. The prime minister had threatened tit-for-tat tariffs against American goods. Several provinces pulled American alcohol from government-owned liquor stores. Elon Musk was a notable target – hours before Trump and Trudeau had their last-minute negotiations Monday afternoon, Ontario premier Doug Ford 'ripped up' the province's contract with Musk's company Starlink. Sultan Egebesci, originally from Turkey, has lived in Canada for four years and has worked at Martinrea for three. She considers the company her 'second family.' 'Of course, I'm worried,' Egebesci told CNN when asked about the looming possibility of a trade war with the United States. But she said was trying not to stress out too much. 'I know when we do everything together, everything gonna be fixed,' Egebesci said of Canadians. 'Everything can be fixed.' Egebesci is encouraged by the movement to 'Buy Canadian,' and told CNN that when she shops, she first looks for a 'Made in Canada' label before making a purchase. 'I feel confident,' said Pisey Lim, another Martinrea employee. 'I really trust the company.' Her friends at other companies nearby, however, 'feel a little bit nervous.' 'They're scared they might lose their job,' Lim said. 'They see in their work, it's quite less work. Some people stay home.' Naitik Jariwalla, who's worked at Martinrea for three years, said he was worried about the possibility of losing his job, but thought Canada was 'taking the right steps.' 'The government has been prepared for almost a month now,' Jariwalla said. 'I have hope for Martinrea.' However, Jariwalla predicted that the issue wouldn't go away anytime soon. It's time, he said, to dig in. Canada should stand up to the United States 'even if it hurts a bit.' 'It may take one or two years to settle down,' Jariwalla told CNN. 'But this is a good time for Canada to support their legs and stop relying on another country. I think it's going to be good for Canada. I think Canada can grow.' 'It's gonna hurt anyhow,' Jariwalla continued. 'Either you deal with it right now, or in the future.' Despite the Canadian flags hanging on the factory walls, Martinrea is in some ways an American company, too. Wildeboer points out that the company employs twice as many people in the US as in Canada, particularly in Michigan, where Trump won a slim majority in 2024. 'We're a big deal locally,' Wildeboer said. 'We take care of a lot of people. I would say that a lot of those people like President Trump and they like his message: lower inflation, more jobs, strong economy. But with the tariffs and so forth, you're getting higher inflation, less jobs, weaker economy.' The executive guessed that those employees might change their mind on the president's agenda come midterm elections in two years. That said, apart from his position on tariffs, Wildeboer admitted he understands much of Trump's message about Canada. 'A lot of what President Trump or the Americans have said to Canadians has a lot of merit,' Wildeboer said. Trudeau's initial announcement that the tariffs were paused for 30 days focused almost exclusively on Canadian investment in border security and fentanyl mitigation. Though less than 1% of fentanyl trafficked into the US comes from Canada, Trump has fixated on the prospect of opiates streaming in over the northern border. In a recent 'Fact Sheet,' his administration claimed that there exists 'a growing presence of Mexican cartels operating fentanyl and nitazene synthesis labs in Canada.' In response, Trudeau has agreed to appoint a 'Fentanyl Czar' to deal with the issue. The prime minister even said that Canada would follow the US in declaring cartels as terrorist organizations, though Mexico's president said she considers the US designation unhelpful. 'In the context of fixing our border, dealing with fentanyl or immigration, I think that the vast majority of Canadians agree,' Wildeboer said. 'I think most Canadians would agree that we should spend more on our military. We should defend our Arctic. We have Chinese planes and Russian planes flying over our land. At the end of the day, that's our land. We should protect it. We should protect it with the United States.'
