On today’s date in 2004, Bombardier and two joint-venture partners were awarded a $424-million order to supply 20 high-speed trains to China’s Ministry of Railways.
Bombardier founder Joseph-Armand Bombardier changed winter recreation and travel forever with his invention of the snowmobile in 1960. Since selling its first Ski-Doo nearly 60 years ago, the company has also expanded into the rail, aerospace and defence sectors.
“Bombardier Transportation and its joint venture partners, Power Corporation of Canada and China South Locomotive and Rolling Stock Industry (Group) Corporation have received, through their joint venture Bombardier Sifang Power (Qingdao) Transportation Ltd. (BSP) an order from the Ministry of Railways of China (MOR) for the production and delivery of 20 eight-car high-speed trainsets,” said Lydia Dufresne, media relations with Bombardier, in 2004.
“The order is valued at approximately $424 million US and Bombardier’s share is approximately $263 million US. Deliveries are scheduled to take place from July 2006 to July 2007.”
BOMBARDIER STAMP
In 2000, as part of Canada Post’s Millennium Collection, Bombardier’s founder was commemorated on a 46-cent stamp (Scott #1832d). The stamp was issued in panes of four (SC #1832) that also featured inventors George Klein (SC #1832a); Abraham Gesner (SC #1832b); and Alexander Graham Bell (SC #1832c). Printed by Ashton-Potter Canada on Tullis Russell coated paper, the stamps had a print run of 1,000,000.
Bombardier, the man, died in Sherbrooke, Que., in 1964. He was 56.