Quebec manufacturer receives nearly $4M for automation upgrades

April 26, 2019 – Maintenance equipment manufacturer Les Produits Gilbert has received $3,976,000 in funding from the governments of Canada and Quebec, along with Investissement Québec, to acquire robotic welding cells and fully automated machining centres.

The total investment project is valued at almost $5 million and will enable the company to grow, increase productivity and create 18 jobs. Les Produits Gilbert Inc. is a manufacturer of maintenance equipment for snowmobile trail maintenance, and of equipment for the forestry, sawmill and construction industries.

The federal government is providing a $1,316,000 repayable contribution to Les Produits Gilbert under the Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED) Quebec Economic Development Program.

The Quebec government has given the company a $1,330,000 loan through the ESSOR program to support the acquisition of specialized equipment.

Investissement Québec has given the company a loan, from its own funds, of $1,330,000, as part of its manufacturing initiative to enhance the province’s innovative manufacturing sector.

“In keeping with our commitment to foster the growth of the Canadian economy, the Government of Canada has made it its goal to support businesses hoping to prosper through innovation and the development of new technologies and new markets,” says Navdeep Bains, minister of innovation, science and economic development and minister responsible for CED, in a release.

Pierre Fitzgibbon, minister of economy and innovation and minister responsible for the Lanaudière region, says that “one of the Quebec government’s priorities is to raise awareness among Quebec companies of the growth potential associated with Industry 4.0. Indeed, it is by integrating digital technologies and robotic equipment, in particular, that companies will be able to increase their productivity and competitiveness.”