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First Light Breaks Ground on New Manufacturing Facility in Canada
The school bus safety manufacturer is moving forward on a new $30 million building across 7.5 acres in Winnipeg, MB, with eyes on global market expansion.
May 21, 2025
The building will serve as headquarters for First Light Safety Products and its parent company.
Photo: First Light Safety Products
2 min to read
In a market strife with uncertainty right now, one company is moving forward despite it all: First Light Safety Products announced its new facility in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. There, its new hub will design, test, and manufacture its fully illuminated stop arms and other products for North American, and soon, global use.
"In a time when many in the private sector are pumping the brakes, we’re accelerating," a company website post read. "While global markets hesitate and many companies are adopting a 'wait and see' approach, we’re proudly moving forward with confidence."
The company said that despite tariffs impacting cross-border trade, First Light’s products remain shielded under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement. It is also planning expansion into emerging markets like India and Vietnam.
Inside the New Facility
A groundbreaking was held in April as the company's leadership, partners, and community came together to celebrate the space coming soon to 1455 Clarence Avenue.
The new 140,000-square-foot, $30 million facility is built in partnership with Weathervane Investments by Pre-Con Builders.
Spanning 7.5 acres beside Motor Coach Industries, it will serve as the headquarters for both First Light Safety Products and its parent company, Smartrend Manufacturing Group. The facility will consolidate Smartrend’s three Winnipeg locations into one space while creating 100 to 200 new jobs over five years.
Other features include a restaurant-style lunchroom, collaboration zones, a progressive training facility, mechanical and electrical R&D laboratory with a full suite of testing equipment, inspection and quality lab, and 95,000 sq. ft. of advanced manufacturing and warehouse space.
“This is a calculated risk,” said Scott Bearss, partner at Weathervane Investments. “But when you’re advancing safety, the reward far outweighs the risk. We believe making this investment now is still going to be a great decision three to five years from now.”
The project is scheduled for completion in October 2026.
“We’re not just building a facility,” said First Light President and CEO Kevin Smith. “We’re building a legacy of safety.”
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The manufacturer also recently announced five new school districts in Pennsylvania that will be using its products in a post on LinkedIn.
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