Avison Young acquires Montreal-based project management firm Roy et Tremblay

Purchase strengthens Avison Young's business-line coverage in Quebec,
Claude Roy becomes Principal, nine members join

TORONTO, July 3, 2014 /CNW/ - Mark E. Rose, Chair and CEO of Avison Young, the world's fastest-growing commercial real estate services firm, announced today that it has acquired Montreal-based project management firm Roy et Tremblay Inc.

The purchase further expands Avison Young's business-line coverage in Montreal and the province of Quebec. The change in ownership adds nine employees to Avison Young's Montreal operations.

Effective immediately, Roy et Tremblay co-founder Claude Roy becomes a Principal and Director of Project Management for Quebec. In this role, he will be responsible for project management business development in Montreal and the rest of Quebec, participate in the presentation of services to potential clients, and prepare offers for project management services.

"The acquisition of Roy et Tremblay will allow Avison Young to add project management to the commercial real estate service offerings now available to clients in Montreal and the province of Quebec," comments Rose. "This acquisition will better serve our customers and offer, under one banner, a full gamut of real estate services, including site search, feasibility studies, project management and property management, along with the traditional sales, leasing and advisory services now available."

Rose continues: "While Avison Young has expanded extensively in the U.S. in the past few years, this acquisition also demonstrates that we will not hesitate to expand in our well-established Canadian market when an outstanding opportunity like this one presents itself. Claude and his team are a great fit within our client-centric culture, and we look forward to the many opportunities and relationships that they will bring to Avison Young in the future. Claude and his team of experts will also serve as valuable role models for Avison Young as we roll out more project-management services across Canada, the U.S. and overseas."

Established in 1995, Roy et Tremblay specializes in major project management assignments. The firm has also developed a particular expertise in the implementation of projects in the cultural domain, such as theatres, art schools, circus schools and museums. Currently, projects under construction are valued at $130 million. The company's current and past clients include Diffusion en Scène, the Caisses Desjardins, Business Development Bank of Canada, Musée de Joliette, Théâtre du Rideau Vert, Cirque Éloize, Ville de Delson, Ville de Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Le Cube, McGill University, the Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec, L'Oréal Canada, and the Chambre des notaires du Québec.

Also joining Avison Young from Roy et Tremblay are: Francisco Carrera, project manager; Christian Dorr, senior project manager; Benoit Dubuc, senior project manager; Julie Paquet, administrative assistant; Isabelle Raymond, project manager; Daniel Sarrazin, senior project manager; Anne-Marie Touma, project co-ordinator; and Guylaine Tremblay, senior project manager.

"It is with great pleasure that we welcome Claude Roy and his team of experienced managers to our company," states Denis Perreault, Managing Director of Avison Young's Montreal office. "Claude will lead our project management department, providing leasehold improvements and construction planning and execution, which will fulfill an important client need. This valued addition to our actual services offered to our clients definitely helps promote our company as an important multi-disciplinary real estate organization in the Montreal marketplace and throughout Quebec."

Avison Young Principal Laurent Benarrous, who led and negotiated the acquisition, says the two organizations' cultures are a perfect match.

"Having worked with Claude in the past, I have no doubt that he and his team will measure up to their reputation of integrity and excellence in terms of project management," notes Benarrous, who is based in Montreal. "Roy et Tremblay's know-how will represent a great value for our clients, whether they are landlords or tenants. We are honoured that Claude Roy and his team chose to trust Avison Young."

Roy brings more than 35 years of project management experience to Avison Young. He has completed numerous construction, renovation and tenant fit-up projects in the commercial, institutional and industrial real estate sectors. In addition to being the founding president of Roy et Tremblay, he was also president of a construction company, and held leadership positions with large property owners, construction companies and an engineering consulting firm.

Roy holds an engineering degree from the École de technologie supérieure, and a Masters in Project Management from the Université du Québec à Montreal. He is a member of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec and is also a Professional Quantity Surveyor (PQS) member of the Canadian Institute of Quantity Surveyors.

"By joining Avison Young, we can share, with an experienced team offering complementary services, our specialized and unique expertise in project management," says Roy. "This will allow us, for our mutual benefit and for the benefit of our clients, to expand the range of services that we can offer to our clients and, in return, that Avison Young will be able to offer to its existing clients in Quebec. Today, more and more clients want to do business with a single point of service. They don't want to manage the split of responsibilities between various suppliers. Our amalgamation with Avison Young enables our customers to use one source in order to complete their real estate projects."

"Furthermore, all of our employees are happy with this change, which will allow us to grow within a company whose values of honesty and integrity are in line with our own values," he says.

Over the past five years, Avison Young has grown from 11 to 58 offices and from 300 to more than 1,500 real estate professionals across Canada, the U.S., and in Europe.

Avison Young is the world's fastest-growing commercial real estate services firm. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Avison Young is a collaborative, global firm owned and operated by its principals. Founded in 1978, the company comprises 1,500 real estate professionals in 58 offices, providing value-added, client-centric investment sales, leasing, advisory, management, financing and mortgage placement services to owners and occupiers of office, retail, industrial and multi-family properties.

•Editors/Reporters: please click on link to view and download photo of Claude Roy
http://www.avisonyoung.com/sites/default/files/content-files/Media_Room/Temp/Claude_Roy.gif

For further information/comment/photos:

• Sherry Quan, Principal, National Director of Communications & Media Relations, Avison Young: 604.647.5098; cell: 604.726.0959

• Mark Rose, Chair and CEO, Avison Young: 416.673.4028

• Denis Perreault, Managing Director, Montreal, Avison Young: 514.905.0604

• Laurent Benarrous, Principal, Avison Young: 514-905-5441

• Claude Roy, Director of Project Management, Montreal, Avison Young: 450.646.2111

www.avisonyoung.com

Avison Young was a winner of Canada's Best Managed Companies program in 2011 and 2012 and requalified in 2013 to maintain its status as a Best Managed company.

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SOURCE: Avison Young Commercial Real Estate (BC)

For further information: Media Relations: Sherry Quan, 604.647.5098 or 604.726.0959, [e-mail]