The London Beat London, Ontario’s stream of consciousness
London Business giant General Dynamics just signed the largest contract in the history of London business. The $15-billion contract springs from the Canadian government’s contract to supply Saudi Arabia with LAV 6.0 light armoured vehicles, and the deal includes training, maintenance and upgrades for a minimum of 14 years. That kind of long term agreement is not only good for the company, but it’s a substantial boon to the entire London economy.
General Dynamics started as General Motors Defense, before being bought by U.S. based General Dynamics Land Systems. As a point of fact, it was a $6-billion contract to supply the U.S. Army with the Stryker in 2000, that helped build the London company to the 2100 employee-strong powerhouse that is today.
The new deal guarantees that General Dynamics will continue to be a steadying influence in the London business community for the next 20 years. The deal is the product of an agreement that General Dynamics Land Systems made with Saudi Arabia back in 2014. It took two years to get the permits for the units to be shipped overseas, and began shipping in 2017 when it accompanied Canadian soldiers to Latvia in support of Operation REASSURANCE
According to some reports, that agreement will include 928 LAV 6 vehicles, as well as ambulances, mobile command posts, and transport and recovery vehicles for the LAVs themselves.
The biggest contract in London business history also ensures that General Dynamics will continue to fuel the defence industry hub that it created. Their success made London appealing to other military suppliers, and today that sector boasts approximately 12,000 local jobs across 45 different industries.
