Bombardier has renamed its Global Completion Centre in honour of Laurent Beaudoin, who retired in May 2018 after 55 years of service to the company. The centre, located in Dorval, Quebec, is where the Global family of business jets interiors are designed, manufactured and installed. It was recently enlarged to host interior completion activities for the Global 7500 aircraft, and will now be known as the Laurent Beaudoin Completion Centre.

“Throughout his distinguished career at Bombardier, Laurent Beaudoin was motivated by his belief that nothing is impossible,” says president and chief executive officer Alain Bellemare. “His entrepreneurial spirit was the driving force behind the development of innovative products that redefined their industries, such as the world-famous Global Express business jet. Beaudoin's remarkable legacy will continue to inspire our employees to push the limits of technology, craftsmanship and performance.”

Under Beaudoin's leadership the Global Express aircraft made its first flight in 1996, and in 1998 the Global Completion Centre became home to some of Bombardier's most highly skilled craftspeople, artisans and engineers. Twenty years later, the Global family of aircraft continues to grow and remains one of the most important pillars of Bombardier's future.

“It's been an incredible journey and I'm extremely proud to see Bombardier evolve and diversify over the years thanks to the talent and perseverance of our employees,” says Laurent Beaudoin. “This centre of excellence houses the most advanced aircraft in their category and the future ahead is exciting for the passionate people who continue to embody the Bombardier vision, day after day. Today, I share this honour with my family and the Bombardier family, who always supported me, as well as the thousands of employees with whom I had the privilege to work.”

Laurent Beaudoin was president and later chairman of Bombardier from 1966 to 2015. His vision of entrepreneurship and innovation transformed Bombardier from its origins as a snowmobile manufacturer into a global aerospace and rail transportation giant. Beaudoin's visionary imprint is on every product in Bombardier's vast portfolio of business and commercial aircraft and rail transportation technologies.