Key sectors

Manufacturing: driving innovation!

As an important pillar of the Quebec City/Chaudiere-Appalaches regional economy, the manufacturing sector has gained distinction for its dynamic companies, ongoing innovations and major investments. State-of-the-art technology and cutting-edge expertise are the twin hallmarks of local industry!

1,330 companies
37,475 jobs
$7.8 billion in revenues
21 research centres and groups
996 research jobs

Key sub-sectors: Secondary wood processing and green and smart buildings; prefabricated and modular homes; furniture, kitchen cabinets, doors and windows; plastics and composite materials, insulation products, plumbing fixtures, exterior and interior siding, tubing, piping and fittings, metal products; transportation machinery and equipment, automobile parts, heavy trucks and mass transit vehicles.

Leading sector companies: Secondary wood transformation (Teknion, Maibec, Boa-Franc, Prémoulé, Laurier Furniture, Laurier Kitchens, Ultratech, Laprise Homes, Colombia Forest Products, Option Kitchen, Préverco); plastics and composite materials (IPL, Multina, Bain Ultra, PH Tech, Crocs Canada, Pultrall, Sigma Ventures-René Composite Materials, Novik); metal products (Canam Group, Prevost Car, Labrie, Comact, Alcoa).

Sub-sector profile

Your needs are our priorities

POLE’s team of professionals is adept at finding solutions addressing an array of challenges in the areas of market development, competitiveness and innovation.

Groundbreaking investments

Manufacturing sector growth depends on business competitiveness and product renewability. This often means building or expanding new plants, developing new processes and purchasing new equipment. To date, some 20 sector companies have invested over $400 million and created nearly 600 jobs. Recent examples include:

Prevost Car is investing $149 million in several large-scale modernization projects at its Quebec plants. These investments will enable the company to maintain nearly 1,200 jobs and to hire 70 new employees over the next five years. Prevost Car, a division of Volvo Group, is North America’s second-largest motorcoach builder.
Biscuits Leclerc recently inaugurated the most modern chocolate factory in North America as part of a $40 million investment.
Canam Group is investing $50 million to maintain its competitive advantage worldwide.

Other major projects and investments aimed at revitalizing the economic zone will provide sector companies with a range of attractive business opportunities:

Utramar, a local oil company, will be undertaking another expansion project valued at approximately $900 million aimed at increasing its biofuel production capacity.
The Rabaska project, valued at $840 million, involves the construction of a methane tanker terminal east of Lévis.
The Davie shipyard, located in Lévis, will be doubling its workforce to meet the delivery schedule for five ships currently under construction; contracts valued at $635 million have already been signed for these projects. The Davie shipyard is owned by Teco, a Norwegian company.
Territoire Le Massif, valued at $230 million, is a major tourist recreation project in Petite Rivière/Saint François incorporating sustainable development principles.
La Cité verte, representing a $100 million investment by SSQ Financial Group and Desjardins, is a large-scale housing project.
La Capitale is building a 10-storey LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) office building as part of a $45 million investment.

Green from top to bottom!

Sustainable development is the key to the future of the manufacturing sector!

Driving a major worldwide trend, green and smart buildings are among the growth areas identified in the ACCORD Initiative. Based on the regional strategy developed in conjunction with various leading firms, the health food sector will be launching a number of groundbreaking initiatives over the next 10 years.

We are currently taking steps that will ultimately enable companies in the economic zone to adopt new business practices that are performance-oriented as well as socially and environmentally conscious, e.g., by improving energy efficiency and recycling production waste. Contact us!