"Building a global multi-market business is an ongoing process. To remain a market leader, BRP needs to constantly challenge itself and adapt to change," says José Boisjoli, president and CEO. "This is not the first time that we change things at BRP; nor will it be the last. While we remain very much committed to our heritage and roots in Valcourt, we must become more flexible to leverage our growth opportunities."

The 500 employees will feel the effects of these changes over the next 18 to 36 months. BRP says these employees will be presented with options including positions within or outside BRP or retirement packages to greatly minimize the number of layoffs.

"We successfully recovered from the recession by making critical investments and difficult decisions," says Boisjoli. "We collaborated with our employees to maximize efficiency. However, we still have challenges stemming from regulatory constraints in several emerging markets. As we continue to expand our global presence, we will require more manufacturing flexibility so that we can secure our presence in these countries."