On June 17, 1925, Chrysler Canada – now known as Stellantis – was incorporated in Windsor.
100 years later, the Big 3 automaker is still pumping out vehicles, including the plant's lifeblood over the past 30 years, the Chrysler Pacifica.
"As we celebrate a century of operations here in Canada, we are incredibly proud of our legacy," said Jeff Hines, president and CEO, Stellantis Canada. "We have been an instrumental player in helping to shape the automotive industry through bold innovation, engineering excellence and timeless, yet affordable designs."
The company has evolved from humble beginnings in 1925 with just 181 employees and 4,500 vehicles built, according to Hines, noting today the company employs 9,000 people, with 440 dealers coast-to-coast, having built more than 25 million vehicles in Canada alone.
"This milestone is a testament to the hard work and passion of our employees, the loyalty of our customers and the strength of our dealers," Hines said. "Thank you to everyone who has been a part of this journey. Here's to the next 100 years!"
And over the years, the relationship between Windsor's largest private-sector employer and St. Clair College has become stronger and stronger.
"Celebrating 100 years of innovation, resilience and excellence, we are deeply grateful for the enduring partnership fostered between Stellantis and the College," said St. Clair College President Michael Silvaggi. "Over those many years, Stellantis and its dedicated workers have built a legacy in Windsor, Canada, and indeed, globally – where St. Clair College has proudly supported the automaker with its skilled labour needs. The College remains committed to training and preparing the automaker's future workforce for generations to come."
Tina Papac, the Director of Continuing Education and Corporate Training at St. Clair College says the automaker's impact goes far beyond just building and selling vehicles.
"Stellantis has and continues to build a strong community and a skilled workforce that keeps Windsor-Essex moving forward," Papac said. "This anniversary is not just about the company's history – it is about the real, lasting connections that Chrysler has built with people and families including my own, which is now proudly into its third generation of employees."
Papac started working as a temporary part-time employee at Windsor Assembly Plant and interned in the Human Resources department before joining St. Clair.
"That has been the foundational source of the invaluable skills and experience that I have carried with me throughout my career," Papac said.
In her role at St. Clair College, Papac interacts with Stellantis and its battery manufacturing joint-venture, NextStar Energy, on many portfolios related to training and professional development.
"St. Clair College has been proud to support Chrysler's success by helping to build a skilled and adaptable workforce. Our Corporate and Professional Training department has the privilege of designing and delivering customized training solutions," said Papac. "These collaborative programs have not only supported employee growth but have also played a role in helping Chrysler remain agile, competitive and innovative in an ever-evolving industry."
"It has truly been an honour to contribute to Stellantis' legacy through impactful, industry-driven education," she added.
In 2022, Stellantis entered into a joint venture with LG Energy Solution, creating NextStar Energy and Canada's first large-scale lithium-ion battery production plant in Windsor. At this facility, NextStar is producing leading-edge lithium-ion battery cells and modules to meet a significant portion of Stellantis' vehicle production requirements in North America, according to Stellantis.
And St. Clair College is also helping create a skilled workforce in the emerging battery-operated vehicle segment, graduating multiple cohorts of students in its Battery Manufacturing Certificate program.
Stellantis has thousands of retirees who proudly worked for the company for decades, including Bill Gawley, who put in a 45-year career at the Windsor Assembly Plant before retiring in 2022.
His first job was in production, later working as the skilled trades training and apprenticeship coordinator, where many St. Clair College apprenticeship students crossed his path.
Over the years, he worked with plumbers, electricians and millwrights, helping train the facility's future skilled trades workforce.
When he retired, he was quickly recruited to St. Clair College, where he still works today as a part-time instructor in the electrical apprenticeship program.
"I'm a firm believer in giving back to the next generation, because I wouldn't be where I am today if it weren't for the journeymen that I worked with when I was an apprentice," said Gawley.
Gawley said Stellantis' impact is deeply entrenched in the community, pointing to countless community initiatives where unionized workers raised money, collected toys and coats for the less fortunate and donated millions of dollars to the United Way.
"I gave them 100 per cent during the time I was in the plant, and they gave me a paycheque," he said, noting he happily shared part of it with the community.
As an instructor, he's still able to help create a pipeline of skilled workers for his former employer.
"I pinch myself every day, trying to understand how I got to the position that I'm in," Gawley said. "I would never have imagined myself doing what I am doing. There isn't a day go by when I don't thank everyone because it's a miracle, where I'm at right now."
"I never imagined doing this."
