Press release
World Trade Centre Montréal and the Association de la construction du Québec
Pool their Efforts to Penetrate the
Non-Residential Construction Market in Washington, DC
Montreal, April 23, 2004 On May 5 and 6, World Trade Centre Montréal (WTC Montréal), a service branch of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal, and the Association de la construction du Québec (ACQ) will lead their eighth trade mission to Washington, DC. Ten participants will take part in this mission, presided by Mr. Pierre Marc Gendron, vice-president of Schokbeton. This trade mission aims at promoting non-residential construction products and services in Greater Washington.
For the past four years, WTC Montréal has been organizing trade missions for ACQ members. This partnership will allow Quebec companies to penetrate the construction markets of the most dynamic cities in the United States Chicago and New York as well as in Latin America. In the current context of economic inter-dependence, exporting is becoming an indispensable aspect of doing business and a key factor of success. Although the past few years have been good for the construction industry, the Quebec and Canadian markets remain relatively narrow. Consequently, the Board of Trade, through its service branch WTC Montréal, is acting as a bridge between companies and foreign markets, stated Benoit Labonté, president and chief executive officer of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal.
The partnership agreement with WTC Montréal allows ACQ to invite specialized contractors and manufacturers of construction products to take advantage of our help in developing foreign markets. These exclusive trade missions have already allowed over 60 participants to meet general contractors and architects of major companies and to visit large, innovative worksites, points out M e Pierre Hamel, director of legal and governmental affairs and head of trade missions at ACQ.
Washington 's non-residential construction industry is booming: The construction of the transport department's headquarters (US$330 million), the Patriot Plaza Complex (US$300 million) and the expansion of the General Service Administration Headquarters (US$130 million) to name just a few are some of the major projects currently underway. In short, construction projects in the Washington area account for some US$5 billion.
A branch of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal, World Trade Centre Montréal is supported by Canada Economic Development and offers export services to the greater business community.
The exclusive bargaining agent for employers, the Association de la construction du Québec is a powerhouse with over 12,000 construction employers operating primarily in the institutional, commercial and industrial sectors and accounting for almost 80% of all construction in Quebec. Through its subsidiary, La garantie Qualité-Habitation du Québec, ACQ is also present in the residential sector.
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Sources:
Sylvie Paquette
Coordinator, Media Relations
Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
sylvie.paquette@ccmm.qc.ca
Tel.: (514) 871-4000, extension 4015
Monique Thomas
Director, Communications and Public Affairs
Association de la construction du Québec
thomasm@prov.acq.org
Tel.: (514) 354-0609, extension 262