Press Release

Press Release
Gouvernement du Québec
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CNW CODE 01
Private investments of more than $80 million
Ministers Nicolas Marceau and Élaine Zakaïb Satisfied with the
Results of the Economic Mission to the
International Paris Air Show Le Bourget
Québec, June 20, 2013 – The Minister of Finance and the Economy, Nicolas
Marceau, and the Minister for Industrial Policy and the Banque de développement
économique du Québec, Élaine Zakaïb, are returning to Québec satisfied with the
results of the International Paris Air Show Le Bourget. They witnessed the formation
of promising partnerships and their presence helped seal agreements that will have a
significant impact on the aerospace sector in Québec. Private investments of some
$81 million that will create structuring jobs were also confirmed.
This year marked the 50th edition of the International Paris Air Show Le Bourget. In
all, 1 300 exhibitors and roughly 130 000 visitors and industry professionals attended
the event, including some fifty industry representatives and organizations from
Québec’s aerospace sector. These included Bombardier Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney
Canada, Bell Helicopter Textron Canada, CAE as well as Montréal International and
Aéro Montréal, Québec’s aerospace cluster.
The ministers were also accompanied by representatives from the Ministère des
Finances et de l'Économie, the Ministère des Relations internationales, de la
Francophonie et du Commerce extérieur, the Ministère de l'Enseignement supérieur,
de la Recherche, de la Science et de la Technologie and Investissement Québec.
“The Québec delegation’s substantial participation confirmed our leadership in a very
innovative high-tech market. Our presence at this prestige even is essential and
supports our aerospace industry. It enables Québec to take full advantage of the
many business opportunities in the aerospace field. The private investments for
which commitments were made here show the vigor and excellence of our industry,”
Nicolas Marceau said.
“Over the past few days, we were able to showcase our know-how and the expertise
of Québec’s aerospace industry. Our companies are dynamic and are sought after as
partners. With its ability to innovate, its effective education network and the
excellence of its research centres, Québec is more attractive than ever for foreign
corporations,” Élaine Zakaïb added.
Jobs and investments
During this trade mission, ministers Nicolas Marceau and Élaine Zakaïb announced
the arrival in Québec of the French company ATEM, a company that designs and
manufactures coaxial cables and RF (radiofrequency) assemblies for the aerospace
industry. ATEM Canada will make new expertise available in Québec and result in
the creation of about ten jobs.
The heads of AV&R Vision & Robotics, which specializes in the creation of
automated visual inspection and gas turbine parts finishing systems for the
aeronautics and energy sectors, confirmed the amalgamation of their services with
those of the Québec engineering firm IMAC Automatisation to form the Groupe
AV&R. This merger will double the workforce and help make AV&R one of the world’s
largest companies specializing in robotics.
For its part, Aerolia, the leading French maker of aerostructures and a major
manufacturer of aircraft fuselage components, will locate its first North American
plant in the industrial park of the Montréal-Mirabel International Airport. An agreement
in principle for an initial term of fifteen years reached with Aéroports de Montréal
(ADM) stipulates an investment of $9.5 million by ADM and the creation of some 150
jobs. To house Aerolia’s head office and manufacturing workshops, ADM will custombuild a facility of 7 300 square meters that will be operational as of January 2014.
A cooperation agreement was also announced between the École nationale
d’aérotechnique (ENA) of Édouard-Montpetit College and Aerolia. It stipulates,
among other things, that Aerolia will offer training courses and will hire graduates
from the college and ENA.
Sogeclair, a leading international engineering firm, announced the opening of a
Canadian subsidiary in the Montréal region that will create some fifty jobs over the
next three years.
Aéro Montréal will launch a call for candidates for the third cohorts of the MACH
initiative, which will optimize the performance of Québec’s aerospace supply chain. It
also entered into an agreement with the Pôle de compétitivité aéronautique et spatial
Skywin concerning the implementation of the MACH initiative in Wallonia.
In addition, Aéro Montréal signed a cooperation agreement with Aerospace Cluster in
Rhône-Alpes, a group of French companies, research laboratories and training
centres.
AHE, a distributor of aeronautical parts, will open a facility in the Montréal region and
create 15 jobs within three years.
Loiretech, which designs and makes moulds and tools for forming composite
materials, for the aerospace sector in particular, will locate in Québec in association
with Composites VCI, a Québec company. The new entity, Loiretech Canada, will be
located in Mirabel and will create about ten jobs in the first year.
Lastly, Sinters America, which specializes in particular in the design and manufacture
of testing and tool systems for aircraft maintenance, has developed electronic cards
for pressure sensors that will be used by the French company Thales Avionics. By
providing Sinters America with technical and financial support, the Québec
government helped the company win over this global industry leader.
“These announcements clearly show that Québec is very attractive to investors,
encouraging them to locate here. In light of the deals that were reached over the past
few days, we are leaving with the conviction that our mission has been extremely
profitable. It is a faithful reflection of the dynamism of the players that contribute daily
to the strength of Québec’s aerospace sector. All these projects will undoubtedly
contribute to the growth and vitality of our industry,” Nicolas Marceau concluded.
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Sources:
Mélanie Malenfant
Assistant Chief of Staff and
Press Relations Officer
Office of the Minister of Finance and the
Economy
Tel.: 418 643-5270 or 514 873-5363
Danielle Rioux
Press Relations Officer
Office of the Minister for Industrial Policy and
the Banque de développement économique
du Québec
Tel.: 418 691-5650
Cell.: 514 258-9078
Information:
Sébastien Lévesque-Beaulieu
Strategic Communications Advisor
Economic Mission
Ministère des Finances et de l'Économie
Tel.: 514 499-2199, ext. 4251
Cell.: 514 649-9212