Eastern Townships Business Office:
Supporting SMEs by drawing on community strengths

At the Eastern Townships Business Office, a solid team supports SMEs and non-profit organizations (NPOs), which can count on a strong entrepreneurial culture, the buzz at the Université de Sherbrooke, and the expertise of cutting-edge research centres.

An innovative manufacturing sector

In the Cantons-de-l’Est region, as is the case elsewhere in Quebec, manufacturing businesses play a key role in economic development. CED is present to encourage these businesses to automate their production and diversify their markets, among other things. “We thus foster their productivity and help dynamize communities, which are sometimes rural. We also improve the work environment of staff, a valuable resource given the labour shortage,” explains Yves Lavoie, Regional Director of the Business Office.

Several manufacturing businesses has thus benefited from CED’s support in various sectors. We can mention Royer, a work boot manufacturer, Les Industries G.E. Gilbert, specializing in high-precision machining, and INTERFONCTION, a manufacturer of high-end interior doors, to name just a few.

Pooling expertise

Recognized for its sense of innovation, the Université de Sherbrooke is an important partner to governments and businesses. This institution prioritizes pooling know-how, spaces and equipment, which increases research capacity tenfold and maximizes the impact of investments. Yves Lavoie notes that “this formula of mutualisation brings economies of scale and ensures knowledge is shared and technologies are transferred, to the greater benefit of businesses and the public.”

Decompartmentalizing resources makes it possible to accelerate discoveries and face the challenges of the 21st century. For example, Oneka Technologies made use of the facilities and equipment of 3IT (the Université de Sherbrooke’s Interdisciplinary Institute for Technological Innovation) to develop, between 2012 and 2017, the first generation of its seawater desalination buoys. In this stimulating environment, the university project became an entrepreneurial project dedicated to helping people facing water shortages.

These collaborations attract significant investments, including in Canada’s quantum sector, in which Sherbrooke plays a major role. The stakeholders are many: the Université de Sherbrooke and its Institut quantique, Distriq ‒ Zone d’innovation quantique, Nord Quantique, SB Quantum, the ACET (business accelerator) and Entreprendre Sherbrooke.

Businesses that last

The Business Office also guides a very dynamic next generation of entrepreneurs. Business succession efforts are growing in the region. As one generation prepares its exit, another one is picking up the torch, their heads full of projects, and exploring either automation or the development of new products or new markets. Businesses such as INTERFONCTION, Emballages Façoteck, Cordé Électrique, Chocolat Lamontagne and Amecci will thus continue to contribute to the prosperity of the communities that saw them come into being.

On top of this comes the consolidation of a tourism industry already well positioned thanks to the many lakes, rivers and mountains found in the region, including the Mont-Mégantic International Dark Sky Reserve, and its many attractions.

In this sector as elsewhere, the team contributes to economic development in the Cantons-de-l’Est region by drawing on the strengths of the community and by working in close collaboration with its partners.

The recovery in Lac-Mégantic

On July 6, 2013, a railway accident caused a fire and led to human and material losses in Lac-Mégantic. Following this tragedy, CED designed and delivered a one-time program to enable the economy to recover and to rebuild the downtown, in collaboration with the Government of Quebec and other financial partners, and as a complement to their programs. Let us mention in this regard the reconstruction of public infrastructure; the development of green spaces and pedestrian walkways; the creation of a commemorative space; support for businesses affected by the disaster and those with projects to invest in innovation, conduct marketing or improve productivity; and the establishment of two local investment funds. CED’s presence on the ground and its proximity to economic development stakeholders made it possible to understand the community’s needs well and to adequately support the community as it rebuilt and recovered.

locaux. La présence de DEC sur le terrain et sa proximité avec les acteurs du développement économique ont permis de bien comprendre les besoins du milieu et de soutenir adéquatement la collectivité dans ses démarches de reconstruction et de relance.