Peterborough Mayor Jeff Leal says the planned closure of Woodward Inc.’s local manufacturing facility is “deeply disappointing” and came as a surprise to municipal officials and economic development partners.
In a statement issued after Woodward announced it will close its Peterborough operation in August 2027 and move production to Poland, Leal said his thoughts are with the approximately 165 employees and their families affected by the decision.
“The announcement that Woodward Inc. plans to close its Peterborough manufacturing facility in August 2027 to relocate production to Poland is deeply disappointing for our community,” Leal said.
The mayor noted that the city had been actively engaging with the company in recent weeks, including coordinating a site visit with provincial stakeholders earlier this week.
“As recent as earlier this week, we were coordinating with Woodward for a site visit with provincial stakeholders,” Leal said. “We were taken by surprise by Woodward’s announcement that it will relocate production to Poland.”
Leal said the city is already working with Fleming College’s employment services agency and the Ontario Ministry of Labour to support workers as they seek new employment opportunities.
He added that several companies within the Peterborough Aerospace and Defence Cluster have indicated they are looking to hire workers with specialized skills.
“I’m hopeful that the affected Woodward employees who want to stay in this region can land with one of the other employers that are hiring highly skilled employees in that sector,” Leal said.
The mayor also pointed to recent growth within the local defence manufacturing industry, including Fairbanks Morse Defense’s acquisition of the Rolls-Royce Naval Handling facility, which will become the company’s Canadian headquarters.
“We’re seeing investment and growth in the defence industrial sector,” Leal said. “Woodward’s decision is disappointing. Over the next year as Woodward moves its operations, we’ll work with all our partners to support the transition for the affected employees.”
