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The following are the interviews that have been carried out to date with our business partners. Other interviews will be available shortly. To be informed at the time of their distribution, we invite you to subscribe to the Point de vie newsletter.
Established in 1995, Garda is a world-class Québec company known for its security solutions, cash logistics and global risk consulting. Expertise and vision have made Garda a leader in North America, where it offers services in growing industries to a diversified client base. Garda has a workforce of some 50,000 highly qualified professionals who are among the best trained in the security industry. Over the last few years, a number of acquisitions have enabled it to grow from a regional to a multinational company. We met with Marc-André Aubé, Chief Operations Officer, Security Solutions, Canada, who tells us about Garda's international expansion strategy.
Transferring business ownership is a process that deserves very careful planning, and this is exactly the approach taken by Jean Roy, founder of Plastrec, a Joliette company specialized in the transformation of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Plastrec is one of the five largest PET recyclers in North America. Now managed by Louis Robitaille, Plastrec is a shining example of a succession plan that worked well for all concerned. Not only was the transition smooth, but the company now has the wind in its sails following its recent implementation of a technological innovation that has allowed Plastrec to become a pioneering force in plastic recycling in Canada.
Cascades was founded in 1964 by the Lemaire family and has carved out an enviable place in the production, conversion and marketing of packaging and tissue paper. Since day one, the company has been known for an environmentally friendly approach that sets it apart. It now ranks as one of the five largest players in the development and production of recycled products. Its management philosophy, based on respect for people, delegation of responsibility and teamwork, has also set a fine example. We met with Alain Lemaire, who is President and Chief Executive Officer of Cascades and the youngest of three brothers behind the success of a jewel of Québec’s economy.
La Maison Simons is well known throughout Québec for its chain of seven fashion department stores. But most Québecers aren’t aware that the retail icon has been around for over 170 years, having been founded in 1840 in what is now known as Old Québec City. Recently, La Maison Simons virtually doubled the size of its location in Place Ste-Foy, a shopping centre owned and operated by Ivanhoe Cambridge, one of the Caisse’s real estate subsidiaries. On the heels of this major undertaking, we sat down with president Peter Simons, who along with his brother, Richard, heads up La Maison Simons.
François Angers, Laboratoires Oméga
Omega Laboratories probably isn’t the most talked-about drug company in Québec. And for good reason. This thriving business, which has grown steadily for many years, has always relied on the quality of its products and customer service, rather than on advertising, to establish its reputation. This reserve is a reflection of François Angers, its president and CEO. Nevertheless, he agreed to meet with us and take centre stage as part of this first entrepreneur profile.