Our History

Linamar's story begins in 1966, when Hungarian-Canadian toolmaker Frank Hasenfratz opened a single-machine shop in Ariss, Ontario. From those early contract-machining roots, Linamar grew steadily through the 1970s and 1980s by earning the trust of North American automotive OEMs one program at a time.

Through the 1990s and 2000s, the company expanded aggressively into powertrain, driveline and structural components, adding forging, casting and assembly capabilities either through greenfield plants or targeted acquisitions. Linamar listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: LNR) and grew into one of Canada's largest manufacturers.

In the 2010s, the Structures Group was formally organized to consolidate Linamar's structural casting, forming and enclosure capabilities under one product division — positioning the company for the shift to lightweight vehicles and electrification. Investments in mega-casting cells, structural die-casting and battery-enclosure lines followed.

Today, under the leadership of Linda Hasenfratz and a deep bench of automotive operators, Linamar ranks #30 in North America and #56 globally among automotive suppliers. Our history is one of long-term reinvestment: we build capabilities before customers ask for them, so that when the industry pivots — as it is now — we're already there.