La Pocatière, Quebec, April 25, 2008 – The Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Minister of Labour and Minister of Canada Economic Development, today announced that Net Parking.Net of La Pocatière has been granted $575,000 in total funding for the launch of its production and commercialization activities. Of that amount, the firm will receive a $500,000 repayable contribution through the Venture Capital Fund for Business Startups in the Regions, along with an additional $75,000 in non-repayable funding through the Community Economic Diversification Initiative – Vitality for the acquisition of new equipment. Necessitating an overall investment of $2,350,000, this project is expected to result in the creation of 11 new jobs in the community.
Using new technology, the young La Pocatière firm has developed an automated system for the real-time remote management and operation of parking lots. The acquisition of leading-edge equipment will enable Net Parking.Net to begin assembling and commercially producing its state-of-the-art system, which promises to offer a definite advantage over the systems currently in use.
"It is a well-known fact that our future rests squarely on innovation. Companies that choose to engage in innovation improve their competitive standing and increase their chances of securing a larger share of the market. The Government of Canada introduced a series of measures in its February 2008 budget aimed at supporting enterprises that adopt innovative practices in order to remain competitive. These government initiatives go hand-in-hand with our Advantage Canada plan to place our country at the world's economic forefront," stated Minister Blackburn.
Opting for the Net Parking.Net system will enable parking lots to cut their operating costs and increase their profitability. Users of the system will enjoy many concrete advantages, including the ability to manage several parking lots at once within a city, or even within a number of different cities, and to benefit from live audio and video communications, resulting in better all-round service.
"The establishment of a high-tech enterprise like Net Parking.Net in La Pocatière will foster the creation of quality jobs for young graduates, which, in and of itself, is excellent news. Furthermore, this SME's operations will help consolidate and diversify the regional economy and strengthen the Bas-Saint-Laurent's standing as an industrial and technological hub," Minister Blackburn concluded.
-30-
Sources:
Claudie Lamontagne
Communications
Canada Economic Development
Tel.: 418-722-3282 or 1-800-463-9073
E-mail: claudie.lamontagne@dec-ced.gc.ca
Sylvain Frenette
Office of the Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn
Canada Economic Development
Tel.: 514-496-1282
E-mail: sylvain.frenette@dec-ced.gc.ca
Subscribe to the Agency's press releases at http://www.dec-ced.gc.ca/asp/SalleNouvelles/acces_personnalise.asp?LANG=EN to keep up with the latest news.
