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SGF merges two of its groups
SGF combines its expertise in mines, metallurgy, advanced materials, energy, environment and chemicals to form the Mines, Materials, Energy and Environment Group
Montréal, September 24, 2007 – To constantly improve its efficiency and practices, Société générale de financement du Québec (SGF) has merged two of its traditional areas of activity. SGF’s expertise in mines, materials, metals, chemicals, energy and environment has now been combined to form the Mines, Materials, Energy and Environment Group.
“It made sense for us to combine the experts in these areas into one team. Merging the two groups was a natural outcome, and we all stand to benefit from this pooling of knowledge,” stated Luc Séguin, Senior Vice-President, Investments, for the Mines, Materials, Energy and Environment Group.
True to its traditions and in line with its five-year business plan, SGF will continue to develop these sectors, which are central to Québec’s economic activity.
In mines, SGF is well placed, through SOQUEM, to identify and develop partnerships with mineral exploration companies. SGF also makes downstream investments in mining operations projects, an area that saw a record level of investment in 2006 in Québec.
As for materials, SGF’s priority is to support companies involved in leading-edge areas and the development of new products, such as light metals, composites, advanced ceramics, refractory and heat-resistant metals, superalloys, plastics and technical textiles, particularly for the aerospace, land transportation, construction and industrial equipment industries.
More specifically, in the metals sector, SGF supports companies whose business plan calls for them to develop high-value-added products, to work with new alloys, to automate their processes and to incorporate engineering and prototyping into production.
In chemicals, SGF continues to support chemical and petrochemical companies in its territory to help them compete in the global arena, with an emphasis on projects that develop new technologies, improve productivity and provide “green” products, for which demand is expected to explode.
In energy, Québec has up-to-date expertise in wind power, and SGF is well aware of the need to sustain local businesses that want to specialize in the design and manufacture of components for the exploitation of this promising energy source. We also encourage the development of other types of renewable energy production as well as biofuels.
Lastly, the environment sector can also count on support from SGF to develop the niches of the future and the technologies of tomorrow, especially in residual materials management and water treatment.
SGF wants to form partnerships with companies that carry out structuring industrial projects in niches offering a strong outlook, with major multinationals that want to expand or strengthen their production chain with operations in Québec, and with those involved in sectors where Québec has recognized competitive advantages.
Société générale de financement du Québec (sgfqc.com), an industrial and financial holding company, has a mission to carry out economic development projects, with emphasis on the industrial sector, in co-operation with partners and on standard profitability conditions, in accordance with the economic development policy of the Québec government.
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Source:
Marie-Claude Lemieux
Senior Adviser
Communications and Media Relations
Société générale de financement du Québec
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