On Friday afternoon, July 7, Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development, was in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield for an announcement related to the aerospace industry. It was at the Groupe Meloche plant that the federally elected representative stopped off at 2pm. 

For the occasion, she was accompanied by Peter Schiefke, Member of Parliament for Vaudreuil-Soulanges. Salaberry-Suroît riding representative Claude DeBellefeuille was also in attendance for this important announcement. 

"We work with organizations and their employees to create wealth here in Canada. By helping companies acquire the tools they need, we are enabling them to grow and remain competitive, while helping to consolidate the aerospace sector. With these investments, our government remains true to its commitment to building a stronger, more resilient and more inclusive economy," said Peter Schiefke, Member of Parliament for Vaudreuil-Soulanges, before handing over to his ministerial colleague. 

A total of $32,571,736 in financial assistance has been awarded to 14 companies and organizations in the Greater Montreal, Eastern Townships and Québec-Chaudière-Appalaches regions. Groupe Meloche will receive a financial contribution of $2,900,000 from CED to acquire and install digital production equipment as part of the company's project to adopt sustainable practices and improve productivity.

Ms. St-Onge was delighted with the announcement."It's good news that we're sharing today with the entire aerospace sector, which, like most companies, has had its share of difficulties in recent years due to the pandemic. This industry is a pillar of the Quebec and Canadian economy.There's a lot to look forward to in this sector over the next few years," emphasized Ms. St-Onge at the press conference. This financial support is provided under the Aerospace Regional Recovery Initiative (ARRI). 

By 2022, this industry will have contributed nearly $27 billion to GDP (up $1.8 billion on 2021), created 212,000 highly skilled jobs (up 14,400 on 2021), and generated exports worth nearly $18.7 billion.

 "Today's announcement confirms that Meloche Group is a major Quebec leader in the aerospace industry. Its expertise, capacity for innovation and excellence are recognized both here and outside Quebec. Groupe Meloche is a brand ambassador for Salaberry-Suroît and Québec on the international stage, and we're very proud of it," said Claude DeBellefeuille, MNA for Salaberry-Suroît. 

What are financial contributions for? 

During his address, Groupe Meloche President and CEO Hugue Meloche explained the purpose of government financial contributions for companies. 

"In 2020, during the pandemic, we weren't sure what to do.In the end, we decided to stay the course by maintaining our investments, retaining our talent, developing new parts and protecting our employees.The strategy paid off in the long term.At that time, our sales were $90 million a year and we employed 225 people.Today, in 2023, our sales have climbed to $150 million a year and we have 600 employees. We couldn't have achieved this growth without government funding," he says. 

Did the government's financial grants enable the company to increase its number of employees? "Yes, because when you buy specialized equipment, you need someone to handle it, so obviously it has an impact on our workforce. However, that's probably the biggest challenge we're facing right now: the labor shortage. Our plants run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and we're struggling to recruit employees to fill all our needs," he added. 

Groupe Meloche is one of the few companies to dedicate an entire team to recruiting international employees and facilitating their transition and installation in the region.