HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA — A group of Canadian veterans, engineers, public policy and business leaders have launched the Canada Defence Manufacturing Corporation (CDMC), a new domestic venture focused on reshoring and rebuilding Canada’s domestic defence manufacturing base and strengthening the country’s role as a trusted supplier to allied nations.

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CDMC’s formation comes at a pivotal moment for Canada’s economy and security. With an unprecedented global increase in military spending, an overreliance on foreign-owned prime contractors, and a push by allies to diversify their supply chains, the company aims to make Canada a central player in the allied defence industrial base.

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“Canada’s geography gives us a unique strategic advantage — we are an ocean away from most conflict zones but fully integrated with our allies,” said Brad Baragar, a co-founder of CDMC and the company’s Chief Executive Officer. “That combination of security, proximity, and reliability makes Canada the ideal location for allied nations to source critical defence production. We are building an industrial capability that will reduce our own dependence on foreign-owned defence companies and meet the demand of our allies - all while creating good jobs at home.”

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Canada’s federal government has recently signaled its intent to diversify exports as part of its economic strategy, and negotiated Canada's participation in the European Union's SAFE initiative. With global trade patterns realigning and allied nations seeking to reduce over-reliance on any single partner, Canada is uniquely positioned to leverage its strengths to lead a new era of secure, high-value defence production.

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“Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Europe has expanded its defence production capacity – but it’s not nearly enough to meet the demand of our western allies,” said Richard Clark, Co-Founder of CDMC. “Our goal is to ensure that Canada contributes meaningfully to the rearmament effort, by leveraging our manufacturing and resource strengths, as well as our strategic geographic position. We’ll do this not by competing with our allies, but by complementing them.”

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CDMC will work closely with federal and provincial partners to identify suitable manufacturing sites and establish a fully Canadian-owned platform capable of meeting growing domestic and allied demand.

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CDMC will begin with a focus on restoring large-scale defence manufacturing within Canada, drawing on the country’s existing expertise in advanced materials, manufacturing, and logistics.

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The company’s founding team includes veterans, engineers, finance professionals, and former government officials with decades of combined experience across defence, manufacturing, and public policy and procurement.

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For Additional Information:

Richard Clark
Co-Founder
Canada Defence Manufacturing Corporation (CDMC)
rc@cdmcorporation.ca