Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist
GASPÉ – There has been a consolidation in Gaspé’s marine industry with Chantier naval Forillon acquiring Entreprises maritimes Bouchard of Rivière-au-Renard.
“This is good news for Chantier Naval Forillon,” says President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jean-David Samuel.
The transaction, the value of which Mr. Samuel hasn’t disclosed, was completed at the end of July following several months of discussions. The sale includes the shipyard buildings as well as the rolling stock. All jobs have been maintained.
“It was part of our strategic plan to acquire a new company to increase our production capacity along with our labour pool. It was a dream and it all has come to fruition,” continues Mr. Samuel.
“For the future, we will continue to serve local fishing customers. We also want to diversify activities with private shipowners, and public companies such as the Société des traversiers du Québec, and take advantage of pillars two and three of the federal government’s National Shipbuilding Strategy with recent announcements of several billion dollars for the construction of small vessels and the renovation of its fleet,” says the President and CEO.
The transaction could represent a bold challenge given the ongoing crisis in the fishing sector.
“It’s a cycle. We believe that, in a few years, it will come back. In between, there are a lot of boats to build, repair and renovate. We believe in it,” he says.
The company employs about 90 workers in Gaspé and hopes to add 40 to 50 more in Rivière-au-Renard in the medium term. There were only seven employees in Rivière-au-Renard a few weeks ago and the shipbuilder currently has 18.
“We want to create jobs, in all types of trades. We will provide in-house training for people who do not necessarily have a trade. There is a new training program taking shape in Quebec with other shipyards,” says Mr. Samuel.
Chantier naval Forillon considers itself a medium-sized shipyard in Quebec and is not afraid of becoming prey for major shipyards such as Groupe Océan, which acquired Chantier maritime Verreault in Les Méchins in 2022, or Davie in Lévis.
“We work together. We collaborate with other shipyards. The goal is not to become prey. There is enough market for all companies. Everyone can grow. We want to work together with Naval Québec, an association of suppliers, to reach out to the Canadian and even global market. Everyone gets their share of the pie and we are able to grow together, rather than against each other,” says Mr. Samuel.
The manager believes production could increase by 30% in the short and medium term and 50% in the longer term.
The shipyard’s order book is impressive: it includes the delivery of the eighth of 10 boats for the Canadian Coast Guard’s search and rescue and a boat to be lengthened in Rivière-au-Renard. There is also the new federal government fisheries research boat to build, a contract announced last October, and a boat under repair from Newfoundland and Labrador.
“And other contracts that we are currently working on,” continues Mr. Samuel. The federal government has awarded $157 million in contracts to Forillon Shipyard to date, which has allowed it to reach a pivotal stage in its development.
“Above all, it has allowed us to have a long-term vision. Today, we can say that we are a large SME (Small Medium Enterprise): a team able to have long-term, innovation, continuous management, a human resources department, project management, and finance. Instead of looking for contracts every six months, we have a long-term vision and be able to diversify and invest without always being on the brakes,” analyzes the CEO.
The Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and the Coast Guard and Member of Parliament for the Gaspé Peninsula and Magdalen Islands, Diane Lebouthillier, visited Rivière-au-Renard to attend the transaction announcement.
She praised the Forillon Shipyard’s ability to deliver the goods. “We have a long and fruitful collaboration. Having spoken to senior officials, it is a security for them to work with Chantier naval Forillon, really take credit for it,” says the federal elected official.
The inability to launch larger ships is a barrier to the development of the shipyard. “We are not necessarily looking at dry docks. We are always talking about lift equipment,” he maintains, without closing the door on a distant future for this type of infrastructure.
The mayor of Gaspé, Daniel Côté, is happy with this announcement and this new perspective. “These successes on the initial site of the shipyard founded by the eminent Michel Pouliot and propelled by Robert Côté, whom I saw earlier, these successes are now being transposed to Rivière-au-Renard, the maritime fisheries capital of Quebec, to give new impetus to this site set up by another eminent Gaspésian, Camille Bouchard,” notes the mayor, adding that this transaction is positive given the ongoing shrimp and turbot crisis.
The Rivière-au-Renard shipyard was bought from four fishermen, brothers Nicol, Bertrand and Richard Desbois, from Sainte-Thérèse-de-Gaspé, as well as Mario Côté.