Drummondville, Quebec, August 25, 2011 – Jacques Gourde, Member of Parliament for Lotbinière–Chutes-de-la-Chaudière today announced, on behalf of the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, the awarding of two repayable contributions totalling $482,500 to the firm Inpak Vehicles Inc. The first contribution was used to design an innovative product and perfect a prototype, while the second will go toward the product’s commercialization in Canada and the United States.
“The Government of Canada is pleased to support the startup of Inpak Vehicles Inc., an innovative enterprise that operates in the transportation equipment and environment sectors, both considered priorities for the Centre-du-Québec economy,” said MP Gourde.
Inpak Vehicles Inc. was founded less than a year ago. The firm’s managers have developed an innovative concept, namely, an aluminium, cylindrical shaped and side loading refuse collection truck, equipped with an automated arm called Détritube. Presented in Quebec and the United States last spring, the prototype was very well received, particularly for its innovative features: both lightweight and heavy duty, it minimizes hydraulic demand and maximizes loading capacity.
Canada Economic Development made an initial contribution of $185,000 to help the enterprise move through the design-to-prototype process: acquisition of parts, dies and equipment, assembly, manufacturing, testing and modifications. Inpak Vehicles Inc. will use the second contribution of $297,500 to conduct a market study, develop promotional materials, implement advertising campaigns and take part in trade fairs.
The funding announced today has been awarded through the Business and Regional Growth program, which is designed to reinforce the conditions conducive to the sustainable growth of Quebec’s regions and SMEs. It supports business startups and seeks to help them improve their performance, become more competitive and engage in more innovation. It also supports the transfer of technology and research outputs to enterprises as well as the development of new markets.
For more about Inpak Vehicles Inc., visit www.inpakvehicles.com.
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Sources:
Lyne Montpellier
Communications
Canada Economic Development
Tel.: 819-371-5138 or 1-800-567-8637
E-mail: lyne.montpellier@dec-ced.gc.ca
Benoît Fortin
Special Assistant, Communications
Office of the Honourable Denis Lebel
Canada Economic Development
Tel.: 819-923-9209
E-mail: benoit.fortin@dec-ced.gc.ca
