Five Saguenay - Lac-Saint-Jean businesses can improve their productivity and continue to grow

Government of Canada awards more than $655,000 in financial assistance to Les Industries P.L.D., Groupe EDS, SCP 89 (Pedno), Filtrartech and Camping le 4 Chemins

SAGUENAY, QC, May 2, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ - Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED)

Businesses need to regularly improve and modernize their production equipment and facilities to remain competitive and support their growth. With this in mind, five City of Saguenay businesses will benefit from CED support to improve their productivity and increase their production capacity.

With this financial assistance, Les Industries P.L.D. Inc. (website in French only), Groupe EDS, SCP 89 Inc. (Pedno), Filtrartech Inc. and Camping le 4 Chemins (entreprise Gagné, Guy-Paul) [website in French only] can improve their facilities and acquire leading-edge equipment. These projects will generate total investments of more than $1.6M.

The repayable contributions totalling $655,925 were announced today by David Lametti, Parliamentary Secretary to the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for CED.

The funding awarded through CED's Quebec Economic Development Program will help the recipient businesses achieve their growth objectives.

Quotes

"With this support from the Government of Canada, five Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean businesses will continue to promote regional expertise across the country. These high-performance and forward-looking companies are contributing to the economic growth of their region and of Canada."

David Lametti, Parliamentary Secretary to the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for CED

"As the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, my goal is to help businesses grow and innovate so that they can become more competitive in the market and create good-quality jobs and wealth for Canadians. That is why we are supporting these five enterprises, whose successes benefit the region and the Canadian economy overall."

The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister responsible for CED

Quick facts

• CED is one of the six regional development agencies under the responsibility of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development.
• For more information on CED's key directions until 2021, consult Strategic Plan 2021 or visit www.dec-ced.gc.ca.
• Budget 2018 proposes to provide an additional $511 million in funding over five years on a cash basis, starting in 2018–2019, for the regional development agencies to support the Innovation and Skills Plan across all regions of Canada.
• Of the $511 million, $99 million will be allocated to CED, of which $22 million will go toward supporting the new Women Entrepreneurship Strategy.
• For more information on these projects, please see the attached backgrounder.

Backgrounder

Proponent	Contribution – Investments – Project description
Les Industries P.L.D. Inc. (website in French only)	Repayable contribution of $242,525 out of a total investment of $505,050 The project consists in improving the enterprise's productivity and increasing its production capacity with the addition of equipment, including a computer numerical control machining centre and an automatic numerical control saw with a robotic manipulator, and the relocation of welding operations. Based on the expertise of its 17 employees, the SME, which was founded 20 years ago, manufactures parts for large enterprises, including paper mills, aluminum smelters, mines and original equipment manufacturers in the aluminum industry. Working with Rio Tinto's aluminum division, it has developed an innovative manufacturing method for cathode bars, which minimizes human intervention in the delivery process for the finished product. The method could be used for the company's other clients around the world. Les Industries P.L.D. is part of prime contractor value chains, notably in the aluminum sector, a priority niche for the region.
Groupe EDS	Repayable contribution of $184,000 out of a total investment of $368,000 The project consists in improving the enterprise's productivity and increasing its production capacity through equipment acquisition and optimization, automated management system upgrades and leasehold improvements. Founded in 1997, the company has 40 employees. It specializes in refurbishing and designing high value-added pressurized industrial equipment, such as jacks, valves, accumulators and rotary distributors.  EDS also sets itself apart by its use of cutting-edge technology for the production of watertight and airtight seals and for its hard chrome plating process, allowing for optimal recovery of components for refurbished products and the delivery of unique designs. The products are intended for aluminum smelters, pulp and paper mills, sawmills and original equipment manufacturers.
SCP 89 Inc. (Pedno)	Repayable contribution of $123,400 out of a total investment of $548,500 The project consists mainly in increasing the company's productivity by improving its production equipment inventory, which involves refurbishing a flash welder, an oxy-fuel cutting machine, a ring-forming machine and an automated hacksaw machine.  SCP 89 Inc. (Pedno) employs 52 workers and exports 15% of its products to international markets. It specializes in the manufacture of chains and tracks for the forest industry and the design and modification of heavy machinery and its accessories. The company developed the MINAUTOR, an environmentally friendly 100% electric vehicle used in the mining sector. It plans to manufacture three vehicles in the near future.
Filtrartech Inc.	Repayable contribution of $56,000 out of a total investment of  $140,100 The project consists in improving the business's productivity and increasing its production capacity with the addition of higher performance equipment, including two overhead cranes, a loader and a steel-cutting saw. Filtrartech Inc. specializes in the design, manufacture and installation of industrial ventilation, filtration and pneumatic conveying equipment. It also provides consulting and technical services for improving air quality in plants. Established in 2006, this Saguenay SME mainly serves aluminum smelters, but also caters to businesses in other sectors, including steel mills, cement plants and mining sector enterprises. It has 25 employees.
Camping le 4 Chemins (entreprise Gagné, Guy-Paul) [website in French only]	Repayable contribution of $50,000 out of a total investment of $100,000 The project consists in upgrading the facilities of Camping le 4 Chemins to make it more attractive to visiting tourists and involves rebuilding the comfort station. With 30 years of operation under the direction of Guy-Paul Gagné, Camping le 4 Chemins has a four-star rating under Quebec's campground classification program. Every year it welcomes a clientele that is mostly from Quebec, but visitors from outside the province also come to stay. In addition to the rented campsites, the campground at L'Anse-Saint-Jean, which is close to various tourist attractions, also has five cottages for rent, an outdoor pool, a comfort station, a community hall, a sports field and a children's playground.
Summary	Number of projects: 5 CED's contributions: $655,925 Total investments generated by these projects: $1,661,650

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SOURCE Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions

Media Relations, Canada Economic Development for Quebec Régions, Tel.: [phone], Email: [email protected]