Posts Tagged ‘Laval’

May 12th, 2010

Visit of a Moroccan Minister in Laval

On May 6, we had the honor to receive the visit of the Minister of Industry, Trade and New Technologies of Morocco, Mr. Ahmed Reda Chami. Mr. Chami, who was coming to the Montreal Area to visit a couple of large companies in Quebec took the opportunity to make a stop in Laval, in order to meet some local companies and economic development agencies. The event was organized by Flex Group, a Laval company that does a lot of business in Morocco, North Africa and West Africa. Mr. Gilles Vaillancourt, Mayor of Laval, was present to welcome the Minister.

The conference was very interesting and attracted nearly a hundred people, including some companies from Laval. However, Morocco remains a largely untapped market by Quebec firms, despite the country’s many efforts to open up trade, its proximity to Europe and major markets in Africa, and the natural connections with the important Quebec population of Moroccan origin. A colleague informed me at the end of the conference that, as in all of Quebec, there are only 160 companies doing business in Morocco.

As pointed out by different speakers, this conference marks the beginning of a possible intensification of business relations between Morocco and Quebec, and especially with Laval. It would be interesting for the International Business Centre to possibly further activities for local companies interested in Morocco.

However, before launching large-scale activities such as a trade mission or another, it is important to ensure that there is an interest in this market for a sufficient number of Laval companies. I therefore invite all Laval companies that are already doing business or are planning to do business in Morocco to contact us. We would be pleased to discuss your projects, and potentially put you in touch with key contacts in Morocco and eventually get you involved in more extensive projects such as business development on the market.

Bruno Séguin

April 28th, 2010

A cost-effective tool for sustainable development

Undertaking a process of sustainable development is profitable for the company that chooses to go green, but it is sometimes difficult to know where to start.

Thus, choosing a sustainable development approach enables companies to increase productivity, reduce waste and energy consumption and therefore be more competitive on the market.

But where to start? One thing is certain, help is needed and that is what the Enviroclub formula suggests. An Enviroclub is a grouping of 10 companies that wish to implement a sustainable development approach in order to achieve a project. In addition to receiving funding, companies have access to 80 hours of customized consulting and coaching to enable the establishment of their project, and three workshops, all over a period of approximately 10 months.

Projects eligible for the Enviroclub:

  • Establishment of eco-efficiency measures
  • Substitution or reduction of the use of toxic substances
  • Optimization of production processes and better use of resources (raw materials, energy, water)
  • Improved operational procedures and maintenance
  • Recycle or reuse materials on site

Three interactive workshops on various topics such as:

  • Eco-efficiency
  • Environmental performance as a factor in competitiveness and profitability
  • The identification and selection of profitable eco-efficiency projects
  • Environmental Management System
  • Emergency Planning
  • Greenhouse gas emissions (climate change) and eco-efficiency energy

You have a sustainable development project for your business and are hesitant to implement it? Take advantage of the Enviroclub, currently being created for the 3L (Laval-Laurentides-Lanaudière) regions, which will begin this summer.

For more information or to join the Enviroclub 3L 2010, contact Maude Lauzon-Gosselin at mlauzongosselin@environaccess.ca.

Sophie Mainville

February 5th, 2010

WEB2BIZ – Share your Web experience with other companies from Laval!

Since 2009, the LAVAL TECHNOPOLE International Business Centre has been initiating many projects related to international business development on the Web. For example, we launched our own blog, two virtual networks for business entrepreneurs and a training session on this subject.

At the beginning of 2010, I am pleased to announce the launch of WEB2BIZ, a new networking opportunity for company owners, business people and professionals who would like to share their experiences, passion and skills on local and international Web business development.

You are invited to this event to learn how to achieve your business goals through the use of Web applications, on Wednesday February 17, 2010 at Carrefour Multisports in Laval.

Hoping to meet you there!

Bruno Séguin

To learn more about the event and its founders, please click here.

November 24th, 2009

Laval is abuzz

The first Rendez-vous stratégique de Laval was held on November 17 in Laval. The purpose of the conference was to come up with solutions to help companies grappling with the economic crisis. I found two of the observations particularly striking.

First, panellist Denis Durand of Jarislowsky Fraser pointed out that one of the reasons the crisis won’t be going away so soon is that companies don’t have the money to invest. We all think that the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) can ensure the recovery—their companies are in better shape than ours—but it’s not true. Just like the U.S., the BRIC countries account for 21% of the global economy so it’s unrealistic to think that they alone can kick start the recovery even if their domestic demand is strong.

So then how can Québec exporters manage? They could look to the BRIC countries to ensure their growth but the truth is China and India are not suitable for all Québec products. So that’s not the answer.

Second, panellist Mr. Afilalo of MEP Technologies asked Mr. Durand about the impact of a strong Canadian dollar and higher commodity prices on Québec exports. Unfortunately Mr. Durand doesn’t see the situation improving and believes exporters will continue to suffer. He had no concrete solution to offer our exporters.

So I was disappointed that nobody on the panel could come up with potential solutions for Québec exporters. What can they do to survive and grow?

In fact, we all know that the economic landscape has changed a lot and that it is very competitive. Entrepreneurs have a tendency to look to the government and banks for the same kind of help they received in the past; i.e. money to ensure their survival.

However, entrepreneurs need to understand that they must adjust to the changing times. They have to be better prepared and do a better job about planning their development abroad. Banks have every right to demand proof that their business project is viable. Are entrepreneurs ready to face this reality? I don’t think so, and I believe that’s why nobody came up this solution.

It’s easy to say entrepreneurs use their natural abilities and flair to develop their markets and that they don’t need a business plan. Nonetheless, the three entrepreneurs on the panel—MEP, LAB Research and Jarry, Bazinet Avocats—managed to combine their intuition and experience in their industry with a solid business plan and that’s why they’ve had success abroad. In today’s environment, if you want to succeed, you need to carefully plan your development in foreign markets.