PARIS — Nearly 100 jobs will be added to Quebec’s aerospace sector with the opening of operations by three French companies, provincial Finance Minister Nicolas Marceau announced Tuesday at the Paris Air Show.
“It’s good news,” said Marceau said. “It confirms the attractiveness of Quebec, the attractiveness of Montreal and our (aerospace) cluster. This cluster is precious. To see it grow is another sign that it will continue to play its role of enticing businesses.”
Simulation specialist Sogeclair will open its Canadian subsidiary in Montreal and expects to hire about 50 people, mostly engineers, over three years.
“Montreal will be an access point to the United States,” said Yves Sagot, who leads the project.
That’s also the thinking of parts distributor AHE (Aero Hardware Equipment), which will open a new division for North American in Montreal that will employ about 20 people by 2016.
“Greater Montreal gives us access to a large pool of qualified labour and a highly strategic geographic location,” said president Gerard Ranzato.
Loiretech will open a joint venture with Composites VCI in Mirabel, north of Montreal. It will hire about 20 people within three years. Based in Nantes, Loiretech designs and manufactures parts made from composite materials and large moulds made in carbon. The company is helping to develop Bombardier’s CSeries aircraft, said president Marc Moret.
Meanwhile, Aero Montreal signed a strategic collaboration agreement with its aerospace cluster equivalent in Rhone-Alpes, southeastern France.
Quebec’s aerospace sector, which is the largest in Canada and one of the largest in the world, already employs about 42,500 people.