What Van-Rob makes

Van-Rob is a Tier One automotive supplier that designs and manufactures metal stampings, modular welded assemblies, structural welded assemblies, and mechanical assemblies. Under KIRCHHOFF Automotive, its Canadian plants develop and produce large structural assembly units, chassis parts, and crash management systems, the body-in-white and chassis structures that absorb and manage crash energy. Historically the company also produced heat shields for thermal applications. These are engineered, safety-critical structures, not commodity parts, and they sit inside the body and chassis of passenger cars and light trucks.

The manufacturing base combines forming, joining, and finishing. Van-Rob's Ontario operations run metal forming, laser cutting, and a broad set of welding processes, including MIG welding, projection welding, and spot welding, plus assembly of fixing elements into finished modules. That process mix, stamping in, welded assembly out, is the signature of a structural Tier 1 supplier serving vehicle programs rather than the aftermarket. As part of the wider KIRCHHOFF Automotive group, the operation plugs into a global network built around economical lightweight construction and crash performance for original equipment manufacturers.

Ownership and history

Van-Rob was founded in 1979 in the Toronto area by Peter van Schaik, a Dutch-trained toolmaker, and Rob Simpson, and the company name combines their two first names. It grew from small stampings into a full-service Tier One supplier to the major North American automakers, adding welded and mechanical assemblies over the following decades. KIRCHHOFF Automotive, a family-owned German automotive group, acquired a majority stake in Van-Rob in February 2011, and since 2016 KIRCHHOFF Automotive has been the sole shareholder. Van-Rob now operates as the KIRCHHOFF Automotive Canada organization while retaining the Van-Rob name at its plants.

The Canadian footprint is concentrated in the Greater Toronto Area: a corporate centre and main production site at 200 Vandorf Sideroad in Aurora, Ontario, and an extended site at 25 Mural Street in Richmond Hill, Ontario. Public directories place the company in the 201 to 500 employee band. An earlier minority investor, Clairvest, described Van-Rob's operations as spanning Canada and Mexico during its holding period, consistent with the group's later North American expansion. A note on the founding year: KIRCHHOFF's own account cites 1979, while Clairvest's profile lists 1980; the 1979 date is the one the parent publishes.

Certifications and quality

Van-Rob's Aurora and Richmond Hill operations are certified to IATF 16949:2016, the automotive quality management standard, with the certificate issued by Intertek. The registered scope covers the design and manufacture of metal stampings, modular welded assemblies, and structural welded assemblies. The current certificate carries a validity date into March 2029, which places the quality system in an active certification cycle rather than a lapsed or undated claim. IATF 16949 is the baseline expectation for a structural Tier 1 supplier, and it is the standard KIRCHHOFF maintains across its plants that build safety-critical body and chassis components.

Known customers

Van-Rob has served the major North American automakers across its history. Individual current program awards are not published at the plant level, so the record below reflects documented and historically reported relationships rather than a current customer list.

Beyond these named relationships, Van-Rob's product mix, body-in-white structures, chassis parts, and crash management systems, is sold into passenger-car and light-truck programs at OEM assembly plants. KIRCHHOFF Automotive states that a meaningful share of vehicles built in Europe and North America contain at least one part from the group.

Sourcing evidence

Van-Rob's Aurora entity shows a consistent import record: 299 ocean shipments recorded from January 2015 through September 2026, with the most recent shipment dated September 23, 2026, so the plant is actively importing. The mix is dominated by fasteners and hardware, nuts, bolts, studs, weld nuts, screws, pins, sleeves, and washers, classified largely under HS chapter 7318. That is the input profile of an assembly operation buying joining hardware to weld and fix into modules, not a reseller importing finished goods.

Two shown of the recorded suppliers. The record is heavily concentrated on a single Taiwanese fastener source, NES, across its billing variants. Container volume averages about 4.32 TEU per shipment and roughly 15 TEU per month, and customs-derived estimates put cumulative ocean shipping spend near $0.8M over the period, with cost data covering about 80% of shipments, an order-of-magnitude figure rather than an audited one. Month-of-year activity peaks in spring and early summer, April and June, and eases in the fall.

Coverage caveats: these are ocean-freight bill-of-lading records for the Aurora importer only. Air, truck, and rail movements, including most cross-border North American flows, do not appear; some records name freight intermediaries rather than manufacturers; and product categories come from declared manifest codes, which are noisy. Absence of a record is not evidence of absence.

Frequently asked questions

What does Van-Rob manufacture?

Van-Rob manufactures metal stampings, modular welded assemblies, structural welded assemblies, and mechanical assemblies for the automotive industry. Under KIRCHHOFF Automotive, its Canadian plants focus on large structural assembly units, chassis parts, and crash management systems, the body-in-white and chassis structures that manage crash energy in passenger cars and light trucks.

Who owns Van-Rob?

Van-Rob is owned by KIRCHHOFF Automotive, a family-owned German automotive group. KIRCHHOFF acquired a majority stake in February 2011 and has been the sole shareholder since 2016. The company was founded in 1979 by Peter van Schaik and Rob Simpson and now operates as KIRCHHOFF Automotive's Canadian organization.

Where is Van-Rob located?

Van-Rob's corporate centre and main plant are at 200 Vandorf Sideroad in Aurora, Ontario, Canada, with an extended production site at 25 Mural Street in Richmond Hill, Ontario. Both sites are in the Greater Toronto Area.

Who are Van-Rob's customers?

Van-Rob has served the major North American automakers, with General Motors, Ford, Stellantis (formerly DaimlerChrysler), and Subaru named among its awarding clients in company and directory profiles. Current program awards are not published at the plant level. Its structural body and chassis parts are sold into OEM vehicle programs.

What certifications does Van-Rob hold?

Van-Rob's Aurora and Richmond Hill operations are certified to IATF 16949:2016, the automotive quality management standard, issued by Intertek, with a certificate valid into March 2029. The registered scope covers the design and manufacture of metal stampings, modular welded assemblies, and structural welded assemblies.

How many employees does Van-Rob have?

Public directories list Van-Rob in the 201 to 500 employee band across its Ontario operations. The company does not publish an exact headcount, and figures modeled from professional-network profiles tend to undercount manufacturing workforces.

Last verified September 28, 2026. Is this your company? Request a correction.