Export Development Canada (EDC) today announced the opening of a new office in Brossard, QC that will bring EDC’s financial and advisory services closer to businesses in the Montérégie region.
While EDC currently serves close to 400 companies on the South Shore, there is an estimated 3,700 companies in the area that are either currently exporting or thinking about it. EDC intends to play a leading role in unlocking the region’s significant trade potential.
“EDC’s investment in Brossard is really about tapping into the deep pool of dynamic, trade-minded companies in the area and providing them with more hands-on, customized service,” said Alexandre Faria, Regional Vice-president, Quebec.
The Montérégie region is a hotbed for Quebec business and we want to act as a catalyst to encourage and equip companies with what they need to go, grow, and succeed internationally,” added Faria. “They’re already into the US, but EDC can help them get to demand-rich markets like China and India quickly, and with less risk.”
The potential for trade-related business growth in the region is particularly evident in sectors like transportation, agri-business, and food processing – all products and services that are in high demand globally. EDC has seen a marked increase in the amount of business undertaken by its customers in these sectors in the Montérégie region, which helped influence the decision to open this new office.
In addition, the presence of major financial institutions in the region will allow EDC to help more South Shore companies get the support they need. EDC partners with banks, sharing risks on commercial terms, to ensure that customers can access financial solutions best suited to their needs.
“Some of the most dynamic exporters in Canada are headquartered in the Montérégie region, with most of them being small-and medium-sized businesses,” said Marie-France Houde, District Manager for the South Shore. “Their needs can be complex, and our intention is to have our finger on the pulse of their business by being part of their community. The more we understand about them, the easier it will be to create solutions that are uniquely tailored to their day-to-day reality.”
This initiative is part of EDC’s broader growth strategy, domestically and abroad, to help more Canadian companies export and invest internationally. EDC recently opened a representation in Johannesburg, South Africa and London, UK, and has near-term plans to expand in Asia.
EDC serves more than 8,300 Canadian companies and their global customers in up to 200 markets worldwide each year.
