20 April 2012 - Quebec aerospace industry tightens its ranks
Quebec aerospace industry tightens its ranks
Montreal, April 20, 2012—The members of Aéro Montréal, Quebec’s aerospace cluster, today endorsed the consolidation of aerospace industry forces in the province by ratifying the proposed merger of the Quebec Aerospace Association (AQA) and the cluster, at their AGM. This decision confirms one made by AQA members at a special general meeting held earlier this week.
The members of the two organizations, who see many advantages for aerospace SMEs in a closer relationship with leading prime contractors and OEM integrators in the industry, were pleased with this outcome.
“The merger of Aéro Montréal and AQA strengthens cooperation between the players in the Quebec aerospace supply chain. They will be better able to address the issues that affect our sector, which will ultimately make our industry more globally competitive,” said Guillermo Alonso Jr., chair of the board of AQA and president of Alta Precision Inc.
“This desire to consolidate all of Quebec’s aerospace industry forces is not unusual. The global aerospace industry is moving in the same direction. Consequently, to remain at the head of the pack internationally, we must link arms and work together. I admire the leadership and vision demonstrated in this initiative by the members of our respective boards,” added Gilles Labbé, chair of the board of Aéro Montréal and president and CEO of Héroux-Devtek.
New SME Marketing and Market Development working group
Aéro Montréal’s board of directors applauded the industry decision to bring all of its main players under one banner in order to speak with one voice and establish a consultative forum that is even stronger and more united.
A new Aéro Montréal working group will be established to promote and encourage business development by Quebec’s aerospace SMEs: the SME Marketing and Market Development working group.
The new entity will join working groups already active within the cluster: Supply Chain; Image, Visibility and Outreach; Innovation; Succession and Labour; and National Defense and Security.
These groups, consisting of representatives from the Quebec aerospace industry and from the institutional sector, comprising educational institutions, associations, governments and unions, explore ways to carry out defining projects that will serve the aerospace sector.
“The merger of Aéro Montréal and AQA will create greater synergies among SMEs, OEMs, contractors and institutional players in the industry. Overall, our industry players will maximize their chances of standing out internationally, in a market that is becoming increasingly competitive with the growing number of new players in emerging markets,” said Suzanne M. Benoît, CEO of Aéro Montréal.
The new entity will continue to be known as Aéro Montréal.
About Aéro Montréal
Aéro Montréal, Quebec's aerospace cluster, is a strategic think tank that groups all the major decision makers in Quebec's aerospace sector, including companies, educational and research institutions, associations and unions.
Aéro Montréal's mission is to mobilize industry players around common goals and concerted actions to increase the cohesion and optimize competitiveness of Quebec’s aerospace cluster. It aims to foster the growth and expansion of the cluster to ensure that it may continue to create wealth for Montreal, Quebec and Canada. To find out more about Aéro Montréal, visit www.aeromontreal.ca.
About AQA
Founded in 1997, AQA (Quebec Aerospace Association) has more than 230 members, including some 130 Quebec SMEs specializing in manufacturing components and high-precision sub-assemblies for the global aerospace industry.
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Information:
Isabelle Fontaine
514-843-2331
Cell: 514-473-7742
Noémie Mourot
Project Manager, Strategy & Communication
Aéro Montréal
514-571-2810