Bombardier is one of the most recognisable family business names in Canada and around the world due to their position as one of the leading manufacturers of airline and mass transit vehicles. The family’s involvement dates back to when Joseph-Armand Bombardier first invented the snow-mobile in the 1930s. Sadly, it was a family tragedy that spurred that invention. When Joseph-Armand lost his child because he could not get him to a doctor in time due to heavy snowfall, he was determined to produce a vehicle that could travel on the snow. He would introduce the first commercial version of the snowmobile in 1942. From there he built the company into a major producer of recreational vehicles. Joseph-Armand Bombardier died of cancer in 1964, leaving his son-in-law Laurent Robert Beaudoin to take over not long after. By 1979 Beaudoin had both titles Chairman and CEO of Bombardier. At the time of Joseph-Armand Bombardier’s death, the company was selling 8,200 snowmobiles a year. However, under Beaudoin, the family empire grew to what it is today – an international giant in the industry. Laurent Robert Beaudoin retired in 2018 and left his son and Joseph-Armand Bombardier’s grandson, Pierre Beaudoin in charge. The younger Beaudoin had served on the company’s board of directors since 2004.
