Plan Nord and business opportunities for Bionest

March 29, 2012

"For us, the "Plan Nord" is an interesting opportunity to build our reputation" says Pierre Saint Laurent, Executive vice-president and General Manager for the Grand-Mère based company.

Upon Jean Charest’s recent visit to Trois-Rivières to promote the Plan Nord, the Prime Minister had mentioned Bionest Technologies as one of the Mauricie region companies taking advantage of this ambitious project, the largest since the James Bay hydroelectric mega-dams.

The company, specializing in wastewater treatment, was already present North of the 49th parallel with its mobile KOKIAK^TM containers, but the growing number of sites over the last few months has now required greater attention on the management’s part in order not to miss the boat.

Efforts made in selling the KOKIAK^TM features, particularly among civil engineering firms who often manage the logistics of construction sites on behalf of mining companies in particular, have proved profitable for Bionest Technologies.

In the last months, orders are pouring in at the Grand-Mère plant from clients of the mining sector (Consolidated Thompson Mines, Aurizon, Agnico Eagle, ArcelorMittal, Rio Tinto and Xstrata Nickel) as well as from the construction sector (Louisbourg, Simard & Beaudry, Construction Nisk and Construction demathieu & bard) and, of course, from Hydro-Québec with its worker camps in Rivière-au-Tonnerre and La Romaine.

"Our system has three advantages that differentiate us from competition", says Pierre St-Laurent. "It is robust for the climate, flexible and easy to operate as its performance does not require a minimum amount of wastewater to be effective."

In the past year, the Grand-Mère company has developed fiberglass tanks - up to 10 times larger in capacity, in some cases, than traditional steel containers. Besides being lighter, they can also be buried underground.

The General Manager considers that each signed contract in the North increases the Bionest Technology notoriety among major work providers. "With this expertise, we analyze what is developing elsewhere in large northern sites in Canada. We are also working with the Canadian Armed Forces on some projects."

The company, which employs nearly 150 people, of which about one hundred in Grand-Mère, has increased its sales by 27% in 2011 and 2012 promises to be within the same range. Between 2003 and 2010, Bionest Technologies has shown a spectacular actuarial rate of 40% growth per year.

A cruising speed that the Plan Nord should enable it to maintain, believes Pierre Saint Laurent.

Québec anticipates the Plan Nord will generate $ 80 billion in economic benefits within the next 25 years and contribute to the creation or consolidation of some 20,000 jobs each year.

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