Press release
World Trade Centre Montréal partners with
Association de la construction du Québec to promote
Quebec construction products in the Boston market
Montreal, October 26, 2004 The team of World Trade Centre Montréal the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal's international trade expertsand the Association de la construction du Québec (ACQ) are partnering up again for a trade mission offered exclusively to ACQ members, to be held on October 27 and 28 in Boston. This mission is aimed at promoting Quebec industrial, commercial and institutional construction products in the greater Boston area, where the value of the 25 biggest projects alone are estimated at some US $6.4 billion.
For the past four years, our WTC Montréal team has successfully organized trade missions for ACQ members. This partnership has already allowed over 70 Quebec firms to participate and promote their products in the construction markets of some of the most dynamic cities in the U.S. such as Washington , Chicago and New York , as well as in Latin America . In these times of economic interdependence, these missions are all the more relevant since exporting has become a competitive necessity for companies, whose prosperity increasingly hinges on their ability to embrace international trade. Although the last few years have been very good for the construction industry, the fact remains that Quebec and Canada are relatively small markets. The Board of Trade, with the help of its WTC Montréal experts, would like to act as a bridge between Quebec companies and foreign markets, stated Benoit Labonté, president and chief executive officer of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal.
Led by Germain Blais, president of Construction Beauce-Atlas, this ninth trade mission will allow twelve participantsmanufacturers specializing in structural steel, prefabricated concrete, fabricated metals, marble, granite, ceramic, insulating glass with integral blinds, stainless steel chemical cleaning and metal surface finishingto present, through individual meetings, their products to general contractors, architects and other representatives of the North American construction industry.
For ACQ, this trade mission is a great opportunity for construction contractors to open up to the U.S. market, which remains virtually untapped by Quebec construction firms, commented Me Pierre Hamel, ACQ's legal and government affairs director.
Through its World Trade Centre Montréal experts and with the support of Canada Economic Development, the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal offers international trade services to the greater business community.
The Association de la construction du Québec represents 15,000 firms through its various mandates to promote and defend the interests of construction companies. Its members operate primarily in the institutional-commercial and industrial sectors (IC/I). ACQ is the employer bargaining agent for IC/I employers. The Association is also present in the residential sector through its Qualité Habitation and Qualité Rénovation guarantee plans.
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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, ext. 4015
Dominique Racine
Communications agent and reviser
Association de la construction du Québec
racined@acq.org
Tel.: (514) 354-0609, ext. 263