Bombardier Essay
History and Purpose Bombardier, currently being an engineering powerhouse, originated from the very spirited mind of Joseph-Armand Bombardier. In the hope of helping his fellow citizens travelling through harsh weather during the Canadian winter, he conceptualized his first vehicle capable of being driven on the snow at the age of 15. In 1937, he received great praise for his B7 snowmobile that could carry, as the name suggests, seven passengers. Afterwards, other bigger and more sophisticated versions were created. Still, the lasting soul of Bombardier finds most of its meaning from this entrepreneurial drive to move the industry forward.
Succumbing at a fairly young age, the creator let the company in a strong financial position and with the ambition to reach new heights, as proved by his last creation: the famous Ski-Doo. Following his death, his son-in-law (Laurent Beaudoin) took the reins of the company and proved to be capable of leadership as well by strategically acquiring other companies over time. Eventually, with his skilled team, he managed to take the company public. In 1973, struggling to find new alternatives to fully use the manufacturing capacity of the company, which was cut off by half due to the oil crisis and economic turmoil, the management team (strived to take their know-how ability to the next level by building transits) decided to translate its know-how ability to build transits, such as the metro for the city of Montreal. Soon after, the company received an even bigger contract requiring the construction and supply of 825 subway wagons for the city of New York, making it the North American leader in the railway industry. The company then expanded in Europe by making acquisitions of large manufacturers in Belgium and France at first. At this point in time, Bombardier was strategically positioned to expand in other countries such as the U.K., Mexico and Germany. It is only at the turn of the new millennium
Succumbing at a fairly young age, the creator let the company in a strong financial position and with the ambition to reach new heights, as proved by his last creation: the famous Ski-Doo. Following his death, his son-in-law (Laurent Beaudoin) took the reins of the company and proved to be capable of leadership as well by strategically acquiring other companies over time. Eventually, with his skilled team, he managed to take the company public. In 1973, struggling to find new alternatives to fully use the manufacturing capacity of the company, which was cut off by half due to the oil crisis and economic turmoil, the management team (strived to take their know-how ability to the next level by building transits) decided to translate its know-how ability to build transits, such as the metro for the city of Montreal. Soon after, the company received an even bigger contract requiring the construction and supply of 825 subway wagons for the city of New York, making it the North American leader in the railway industry. The company then expanded in Europe by making acquisitions of large manufacturers in Belgium and France at first. At this point in time, Bombardier was strategically positioned to expand in other countries such as the U.K., Mexico and Germany. It is only at the turn of the new millennium
Bibliography: * BOMBARDIER, HISTORY, Montreal, 2011, URL: http://www.bombardier.com/en/corporate/about-us/history?docID=0901260d8001dffa (consulted April 12th 2012). * L. NORRIE, James and Mark W. HUBER, Introduction to Business Information Systems, Mississauga, Wiley, 2010. * Bombardier Annual Report 2002. (2002, December 31). Scribd. Retrieved March 22, 2012, from http://www.scribd.com/bombardierwatch/d/49282093-Bombardier-Annual-Report-2002. * Bombardier launches innovation contest on the future of urban mobility. (2012, March 5). Bombardier Investor relations. Retrieved March 15, 2012, from ir.bombardier.com/en/press-releases/press-releases/33128-bombardier-launches-innovation-contest-on-the-future-of-urban-mobility. * What is OHSAS 18001? (n.d.). OHSAS 18001 and 18000 Occupational Health and Safety. Retrieved March 22, 2012, from http://www.ohsas-18001-occupational-health-and-safety.com/what.html. -------------------------------------------- [ 2 ]. BOMBARDIER, HISTORY, Montreal, 2011, URL: http://www.bombardier.com/en/corporate/about-us/history?docID=0901260d8001dffa (consulted April 12th 2012). [ 3 ]. L. NORRIE, James and Mark W. HUBER, Introduction to Business Information Systems, Mississauga, Wiley, 2010. [ 4 ]. BOMBARDIER, HISTORY, Montreal, 2011, URL: http://www.bombardier.com/en/corporate/about-us/history?docID=0901260d8001dffa (consulted April 12th 2012).