Valiant TMS is proud to mark a momentous occasion: our 65th anniversary! From our humble beginnings in a small tool shop in Windsor, Ontario, we’ve evolved into a global company, delivering world-class production solutions to the world’s leading companies.
As we reflect on this incredible journey, we pay tribute to the people who have shaped our story, driven our growth and helped us rise to become the company we are today.
In the past few weeks, we’ve revisited our early years and rapid expansion in the 1990s. If you haven’t caught up on Chapters One and Two of our blog series, be sure to check them out.
Covering every event and achievement in our journey would be a monumental task. Instead, we’d like to share a few key highlights that stand out as milestones. As we celebrate our 65th anniversary, we acknowledge that this accomplishment is the result of everyone’s collective effort, whether or not their contributions are featured here. Thank you for being a part of our story.
Now, as we dive into the final chapter, let’s explore how Valiant TMS has transformed over the past 14 years and how we plan to approach our future.
Expansion and diversification
Following the construction of our new facility in the Southpark area of Linz, Austria, our European team experienced a robust period of growth. We secured significant contracts from Opel and other automotive giants across Europe, primarily in the body-in-white, final assembly, and conveyor segments.
Valiant TMS has consistently grown using a customer-focused strategy. In 2010, we established an office in Cologne, Germany, placing us close to critical clients like Ford Motor Company. This strategic location was just one of many moves aimed at gaining market share and extending our expertise to new regions.
We established a facility in Oradea, Romania, to enhance our engineering capabilities and optimize operational costs. Since then, our Romanian team has become a critical part of our global strategy, pivotal in securing and delivering projects across Europe and beyond.
Around the same time, Valco Manufacturing in Windsor, Ontario, received Caterpillar’s prestigious Supplier Quality Excellence Process Award, affirming our dedication to continuous improvement and high-quality production.
Another notable project during this time included our work with Ford in North America on the all-new 2012 Ford Escape. Our team was entrusted with designing and integrating a highly sophisticated door manufacturing system and overseeing the full vertical integration and metal coordination process, as well as closure hang systems. Close collaboration with a third-party stamping supplier ensured Ford’s demanding quality standards were met, showcasing our versatility and commitment to excellence.
We also took on a monumental project for Lovat, a tunnel-boring machine manufacturer. We built eight machines, ranging from four to six meters in diameter, for Toronto Transit’s subway expansion project. This ambitious endeavour showcased our ability to step outside our core industry and deliver complex, high-quality solutions.
Our team secured major projects from Volkswagen in Europe, delivering automated body-in-white assembly systems for a new global platform. These systems were engineered with advanced flexibility, enabling the production of multiple model variants on the same line. This adaptability was crucial for meeting Volkswagen’s diverse manufacturing needs. It was successfully implemented across six European plants, demonstrating our ability to provide scalable, efficient solutions.
In Canada, we relocated our corporate headquarters to a newly renovated building at 6555 Hawthorne Drive following the sale of 9355 Anchor Drive, which was prompted by economic development and diversification in the region to support a growing wind energy sector at the time.
Training the next generation: a vision for the future
As our industry grappled with a skilled labour shortage in 2011, we launched the Training and Development Centre in Windsor, Ontario. Our “Earn While You Learn” program was a game-changer, providing hands-on training to candidates eager to enter the skilled trades. Many graduates pursued further education, while some even launched their own businesses.
After six years of successful operation, St. Clair College took over the Training and Development Center in 2017 to broaden the program’s impact and further enhance skilled trades and apprenticeship training. By transferring the program to a respected educational institution, we ensured that future generations would continue to benefit from high-quality, hands-on training that addresses the region’s workforce development needs.
Strategic global growth
Our footprint continued to grow, particularly in Querétaro, Mexico, where we established Valiant de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V. in 2011. This strategically located facility allowed us to tap into Mexico’s booming automotive industry while maintaining close connections with our Canadian and US operations.
Europe remained a key growth area, marked by the construction of an additional office floor at our Southpark facility in Linz, Austria, and securing important projects from Skoda, Daimler, Ford, Audi, and Opel. One of our most significant projects included assembling several vehicle model variants and multiple joining technologies into one assembly line for Mercedes-Benz, building their flagship luxury sedans.
Our team in Pune, India, also experienced remarkable growth during this period. We secured a direct order from Renault-Nissan to design, manufacture, and install fixtures and pallets for a final assembly line. This milestone project was a testament to our growing reputation for quality and precision in India. Building on this success, we expanded our client base and won contracts from major automakers such as General Motors, Volkswagen, Ford, Toyota, Maruti Suzuki, and Honda, solidifying our position as a trusted partner in the region.
In 2013, we expanded into Spain by establishing Valiant TMS Barcelona S.L., allowing us to serve customers in the area better. Our ability to establish a local presence in key markets continued to set us apart, enabling us to secure complex body-in-white automation projects for leading automakers.
We increased our US operations by acquiring a 187,000-square-foot facility at 2469 Executive Hills Drive in Auburn Hills, Michigan. This significant investment enhanced our engineering and manufacturing capacity, supporting our continued growth in North America. By the second quarter of 2016, our team successfully transitioned from our previous location at 1511 East 14 Mile Road to the new, larger facility.
Earning industry trust through awards and recognition
Throughout the decade, our hard work did not go unnoticed. Major players like General Motors, Ford, Volkswagen Group, and Boeing have repeatedly honoured us for our innovation, quality, and customer service. These accolades, from four GM Supplier of the Year Awards to three Boeing Performance Excellence Awards, reflected our unwavering dedication to delivering top-tier solutions.
Commitment to our future workforce
Valiant TMS played a pivotal role in bringing the FIRST Robotics Competition to Windsor Essex, inspiring a new generation of engineers and technologists. As the host sponsor of the Great Lakes Regional Competition for its inaugural three years, we were proud to support young minds and encourage them to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math. Many of our team members in Canada and the US have dedicated considerable personal time to mentoring FIRST Robotics students, volunteering, and judging at the competition.
Additionally, we proudly became a Capstone Endowment Partner with the University of Windsor’s Faculty of Engineering. Through this partnership, we sponsored and mentored engineering students as they worked on their Capstone projects. This collaboration highlights the importance of industry-academia partnerships in preparing the next generation of engineers. By bridging the gap between theoretical learning and real-world application, we help equip students with the essential skills needed to thrive in today’s fast-evolving, technology-driven industries.
New frontiers: adapting to a changing world
By 2016, our company was primed for the next big challenge: the electric vehicle (EV) revolution. During the late 2010s, automotive OEMs heavily invested in electric vehicle production, spurred by government regulations, incentives, and strict emission reduction targets.
In response, we expanded our portfolio into the EV space. From battery assembly and electrical testing to innovative leak-testing methods and cleaning systems for EV components, we became a trusted partner for automakers embracing an electric future.
Despite the trend toward electrification, we recognized the need for balance. While expanding our EV capabilities, we continued to support traditional powertrain projects, ensuring our customers in the commercial truck and heavy equipment sectors had the cutting-edge solutions they needed.
We took our first significant step into electric vehicle assembly in Europe by designing and integrating a state-of-the-art system for a leading European automotive manufacturer. This system enabled the efficient assembly of the body for a new battery electric vehicle, marking a pivotal moment in our journey toward e-mobility.
A year later, we secured another landmark project that would yield our all-new ValuFlex® Modular Gate Framing system. This innovative system, designed to join the roof panel, bodyside panels, and underbody, brought new flexibility to vehicle production. It enabled the production of 11 vehicle model variants on a single line, including an all-electric variant. This breakthrough solution underscored our ability to adapt and meet the evolving needs of the automotive industry.
In 2017, we embraced change on a corporate level when Valiant TMS was acquired by a Chinese consortium, opening new avenues for growth and innovation across global markets.
Thriving amidst global challenges
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, Valiant TMS once again demonstrated resilience. Many of our teams swiftly adapted to remote work, our facilities implemented new safety protocols, and our IT infrastructure ensured business continuity. During these challenging times, we also redirected efforts to help local communities. Our Additive Manufacturing lab produced 3D-printed face shield frames for healthcare workers, and our Automation and Assembly team designed and built a ventilator prototype that could be used if emergency protocols escalated.
Powering progress
Once again, stepping beyond our traditional focus led to an exciting and successful partnership with a pioneering company in the energy sector in 2021. Valiant TMS helped modernize, enhance, and standardize production equipment to manufacture resilient composite utility poles. This collaboration demonstrated our ability to apply our expertise in automation and engineering to a new and growing sector, further diversifying our capabilities.
In Europe, our team designed and integrated an intelligent automation system that assembles the complete underbody for the Volkswagen MEB electric vehicle platform. The system featured a unique quality inspection station using gesture-controlled robotics to improve operator ergonomics.
At another facility, the team designed an innovative hybrid timber structure to support a conveyor system in a pilot project for Volkswagen in 2023 aimed at reducing the environmental impact of its factories. These projects demonstrated our team’s ingenuity and adaptability.
Looking to the future
As we celebrate 65 years, we are energized by the possibilities ahead. Electric, hybrid, hydrogen, or internal combustion — no matter what technology propels the cars and trucks of the future, Valiant TMS will be at the forefront of innovation, offering flexible, efficient solutions for a rapidly changing world.
Looking back on our journey, we are filled with gratitude for the skilled, passionate individuals who have been part of our story, the valued partners who have supported us, and the customers who trust us to deliver excellence every day.
Thank you for being part of this incredible journey.
Here’s to many more decades of innovation, collaboration, and success!
