Below: Siemens Canada officially launches the TIASTAR Motor Control Centre at a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Burlington manufacturing facility.  Seen cutting the ribbon (Click image for video) are Siemens Canada President and CEO - Roland Aurich, Mayor of Burlington - Cam Jackson, and Siemens Vice President of the Industry Automation and Drive Technologies division - Joris Myny.



Siemens has invested more than $2 million in design, retooling and upgrades to the facility to accommodate the new production line. In addition, the company has projected the creation of 50 skilled positions in engineering and production to fulfill the capacity.

“Today’s announcement reflects our ongoing commitment to manufacturing in Canada and represents a significant investment for Siemens,” said Joris Myny, vice president of the Industry Automation and Drive Technologies Divisions. “Bringing the TIASTAR MCC production line to Ontario also demonstrates our goal of providing our customers with made in Canada solutions”.

Siemens TIASTAR Motor Control Centres are typically used in commercial building applications to control the speed of fans and pumps and compressors. In addition, they are commonly used in industrial applications wherever motors are found. For example Motor Control Centres are used in automotive manufacturing plants to control the motors that move the assembly line. They are self-contained modular units filled with electrical components, automation interfaces and features designed to offer unsurpassed motor control, communication, monitoring, and protection. The Siemens MCC offers reliable high-performance, reduced downtime, increased uptime and an overall reduction in lifetime costs. In addition, the TIASTAR MCC epitomizes state-of-the-art motor control technology with its open architecture and modular design - all of which are consistent with the Siemens emphasis on Totally Integrated Power (TIP) and Totally Integrated Automation (TIA) - its two key technology platforms.

“In these tough economic times when many manufacturers are moving production offshore, Siemens sees investing in manufacturing in Canada as an opportunity. We know leveraging technology in the manufacturing space makes good sense”, said Anthony Bezina, the Burlington facility plant manager.

“We are using intelligent manufacturing techniques, which include efficiencies in equipment layout and automated solutions to help increase productivity and to become more competitive.”
In addition to selling the new MCC in Canada and the United States, Siemens has identified the potential of additional export business. The Motor Control Centres are assembled using products that meet the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) standard which opens up a global market.

“Our decision to bring the production line to the Burlington facility was based on a number of factors, the most important being the trained and skilled labour force Siemens has in place. We are pleased to maintain and grow the employment in our Burlington facility during these tough economic times”, said Myny.

About Siemens in Canada
Siemens is one of the largest and most diversified companies in the world of electronics and electrical engineering, operating in the industry, energy and healthcare sectors. The company has approximately 6,000 employees in Canada, working to develop and manufacture products, design and install complex systems and projects, and tailor a wide range of solutions for individual requirements. For almost 100 years in Canada, Siemens has stood for technical achievements, innovation, quality and reliability. Sales for Siemens in Canada for fiscal 2008 (ended September 30), were $2.6 billion CAD. Further information is available at www.siemens.ca