[MONCTON, NB] – Industrial Rubber Company Ltd, a Bathurst, New Brunswick company, has entered into an agreement with German defence firm FFG Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft mbH (FFG). The two companies worked on this agreement during Eurosatory 2012, an international exhibition dedicated to land-based defence and security.
The agreement between FFG and Industrial Rubber Company was made possible after the German firm was awarded a contract in excess of $100 million for the conversion of the Leopard 2 main battle tanks into AEVs. FFG subsequently selected IRC as its main Canadian partner on the project and the Bathurst company will perform a significant amount of high-level work in New Brunswick. Industrial Rubber Company has vast experience manufacturing parts for military vehicles.
Over the years, Industrial Rubber Company has become an important supplier of rubber tracked pads for military vehicles used by the Canadian Armed Forces, as well as Canada's NATO allies. The agreement will allow Industrial Rubber Company to tap into FFG's know how and build valuable expertise in the assembly and modification of military vehicles. This transfer of knowledge will help build regional capacity for land vehicle systems in Atlantic Canada.
Eurosatory 2012 took place in Paris, France, from June 11 to 15, 2012. The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency led a business mission of 12 companies and organizations to Eurosatory 2012.
"This agreement is excellent news because it will create a number of high value jobs at Industrial Rubber Company and will generate economic spin-offs that will benefit all of Atlantic Canada," says Bernard Valcourt, minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and La Francophonie.
