Canadian planemaker Bombardier to spend $270M US expanding in 4 states

Aerospace manufacturer Bombardier says it plans to invest millions in the U.S. to expand its business south of the border.

The Montreal-based company said Friday it plans to add 800 jobs in Kansas, Texas, Indiana and Connecticut, 500 for which it is actively recruiting.

Bombardier says it’s earmarking about $270 million US to build infrastructure in the initial phase of the investment.

The company’s president and CEO called the American side of the business a “key pillar” of its growth strategy.

“Based on our constructive conversations with the U.S. administration, we see a bright path forward for our highly skilled aerospace workers as well as a positive environment for Bombardier to continue pursuing direct investments to grow our American footprint,” Eric Martel said in a statement.

The announcement comes after U.S. President Donald Trump said on social media post that Bombardier was investing in three of those four states, claiming it would create thousands of jobs. He also credited Sen. Roger Marshal of Kansas and Texas Attorney General Ken ​Paxton for the deal.

WATCH | Trump threatens Bombardier:

Trump tells Bombardier it can’t sell in the U.S. unless it builds in the U.S.

U.S. President Donald Trump said in a social media post Monday that Montreal-based jet maker Bombardier would no longer be allowed to sell in the United States unless it started manufacturing there, even though the company does have a manufacturing footprint in the country.

Trump had threatened Bombardier in September amid the worsening U.S.-Canada trade war, saying the planemaker wouldn’t be able to sell in the States unless it started manufacturing there — despite the company having a factory in Kansas and employing about 3,500 people in the U.S.

The president walked that threat back earlier this week at a rally in Wichita, Kansas, which serves as a home base for Bombardier’s defence division.

“I always viewed them as a Canadian company … but now I find out they have a presence here, and we’re not hurting them if they’re in Kansas. So we’ll take care of those people,” Trump said.

The company also recently unveiled its North American Learning Center in Wichita, a facility meant to train newly hired aircraft technicians. A $50 million US investment in that facility is part of the $270 million US announced today, a Bombardier spokesperson confirmed to CBC News in an email.