Desbiens, Quebec, November 26, 2007 Acting on behalf of the Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Minister of Labour and Minister of Canada Economic Development, Denis Lebel, Member of Parliament for RobervalLac-Saint-Jean, today announced the awarding of $415,500 in repayable funding to Produits Canwall, a new Desbiens-based manufacturer of prefabricated walls, a product of secondary wood processing. This assistance will serve to support the firm's establishment, the acquisition of specialized equipment and the creation of some 30 jobs, 17 of them during the startup phase.
Produits Canwall is the first Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean enterprise to devote itself exclusively to the manufacture of prefabricated walls. Its factory-made timber-frame and panel wall systems were identified in the development strategy for the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean wood sector as a regional niche of interest based on current market conditions and the raw materials available in the region. The new plant will be equipped with state-of-the-art machinery and a MITEK production line, new technology imported from the United States and adapted to meet Canadian building standards. The firm's production process will also be supported by computer-assisted design software.
"The Government of Canada is working to create the kind of economic conditions that encourage businesses to invest and prosper. As such, our government's recent Economic Statement sets out a number of measures intended to help Canadian enterprises compete with the very best in the world. Starting next year, for example, the corporate tax rate for small businesses will be reduced to 11% and become the lowest rate in the industrialized world by the year 2012. Our government has focused its efforts particularly on the more vulnerable rural regions, where various funds have been put in place to generate a lever effect on these local economies. Thus, this Produits Canwall project will give rise to a manufacturing operation whose products are in strong demand and will help diversify the economic base of a community that has undergone trying times in recent years," explained Mr. Lebel.
"I believe that the demand for prefabricated wooden building components, including wall panels, reflects a growing trend in the construction industry and is the path to success. I am proud that the Government of Canada recognizes and is willing to support the development and export potential of a new enterprise in the secondary wood processing sector. This funding will enable Produits Canwall to promote Quebec softwood lumber as an excellent material for the manufacture of structural components while helping to revitalize the community of Desbiens and strengthen our regional economy," added Produits Canwall President Hugues Lévesque.
These building components, intended for sale to the United States market, make it possible to export high value-added, semi-finished products instead of raw softwood lumber. This prefabricated wall manufacturer will complement the operations of other firms specializing in the manufacture of roof trusses and floor joists.
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Sources:
Nadia Marceau
Communications
Canada Economic Development
Tel.: 418-668-4602 or 1-800-463-9808
E-mail: nadia.marceau@dec-ced.gc.ca
Jean-Philippe Payment
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn
Canada Economic Development
Tel.: 819-953-5646
Cell.: 613-808-8309
E-mail: jeanphilippe.payment@hrsdc-rhdsc.gc.ca
