Algoma Steel forms joint venture with armoured vehicle company Roshel
Algoma Steel Group has signed a deal to form a joint venture with Canadian armoured vehicle company Roshel
Algoma Steel Group, a Canadian producer of steel plate and hot rolled sheet products and Roshel , a Canadian-owned defence manufacturer of smart armoured vehicles, have formed Roshel Algoma Defence, a joint venture to establish a Canadian centre of excellence for ballistic steel production. This partnership is purpose-built to deliver sovereign ballistic steel defence solutions, including full-cycle capabilities such as metal fabrication, forming, welding and machining in Canada.
This new collaboration comes at a time of historic defence investment by the Government of Canada and aligns with the new Defence Industrial Strategy’s emphasis on strengthening sovereign industrial capabilities and Buy Canadian policies across major procurements. It also responds to the growing need for international defence companies to partner with a local, end-to-end supplier and service provider when operating in Canada.
By advancing a made-in-Canada approach to critical defence inputs, Roshel Algoma Defence will enable new, sovereign production of ballistic steel solutions to support defence procurements, including for light utility vehicles (LUVs), the Domestic Arctic Mobility Enhancement (DAME) program, ships, submarines and broader Canadian Defence needs. Additionally, Roshel Algoma Defence will support the use of ballistic steel across other industries, including infrastructure, marine, aerospace and security platforms while creating opportunities to export Canadian-made ballistic steel solutions to allied countries.
“Algoma Steel is ready to enhance Canada’s defence capacity, starting now. This partnership with Roshel puts our production capabilities, our workforce, and our Sault Ste. Marie facilities directly in service of Canada’s national security. Buy Canadian isn’t just a policy for us, it’s a strategy and a commitment to hundreds of good jobs,” said Rajat Marwah, CEO, Algoma Steel.
Roman Shimonov, CEO of Roshel said, “Canada’s LUV procurement, which is expected to deliver thousands of vehicles for the Canadian Armed Forces, represents a cornerstone opportunity for Roshel to strategically partner with the Government of Canada to deliver a fully domestic solution using Canadian ballistic steel produced in Ontario.”
Roshel Algoma Defence is well-positioned to support over 500 workers, including new, high-quality manufacturing jobs and strengthening Canada’s skilled industrial workforce for the long term, reinforcing broader domestic supply chains, including those supporting automotive manufacturing, such as Ford Motor Company and F-Series production in Oakville.