LE BOURGET (France), June 18, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - Gérard Ranzato, president of French company AHE, announced at the Paris Air Show - Le Bourget that the company has selected Greater Montréal as its North American base of operations.
Flanked by Nicolas Marceau, Québec's Minister of Finance and the Economy, Mr. Ranzato explained the reasons for selecting the Québec metropolis, "Greater Montréal is one of the world's major aeronautics hubs and it has a thriving and vibrant business community. We have access to a large pool of qualified workers and the region provides a highly strategic geographic location for serving the Canadian and U.S. markets."
"I welcome the drive and leadership of AHE, which works in an extremely competitive environment, given the limited number of international players. Their presence in Québec confirms our key position on the worldwide aerospace scene. I can assure AHE that we will facilitate its establishment so it can quickly develop its North American market," said Québec's Minister of Finance and the Economy, Nicolas Marceau.
AHE is a parts distributor stockist for the leading manufacturers in the civil and military aeronautics and space industry. In the next three years, the company will hire approximately 20 employees at its Montréal facilities. Montréal International supported and advised the company during the establishment process. "The arrival of foreign investors makes a major contribution to the competitiveness of the Greater Montréal industry. These companies have a substantial impact on job creation and allow for significant advances in innovation," added Elie Farah, Vice President, Investment Greater Montreal, Montréal International.
Québec is a global aerospace leader and Greater Montréal is a major international centre, along with Seattle and Toulouse. In 2012, the Québec industry ranked sixth worldwide in sales, behind the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Japan. With more than 42,000 jobs and sales in excess of $12 billion, the Greater Montréal aerospace sector combines a concentration of prime contractors, first-rate equipment manufacturers and a network of close to 200 SMEs.
About AHE (Hardware Distribution and Logistics) (www.ahe-aero.com)
A subsidiary of MRC Group, AHE was created in 2000 and established in Montpellier, in the south of France. Recognized as a leading contractor, it acts as an intermediary between parts manufacturers and aeronautics companies. As a partner/distributor, it also allows its clients to store and quickly distribute a large volume of parts.
AHE represents more than 450 parts suppliers and its clients include Eurocopter, Airbus, Dassault, Thales, Zodiac Aerospace, Avic and Sogerma.
About Montréal International (www.montrealinternational.com)
Created in 1996, Montréal International (MI) is the result of a private-public partnership. Its mission is to contribute to the economic development of Greater Montréal and enhance its international status. Its mandates include attracting foreign direct investments, international organizations and international strategic workers as well as promoting the competitive and international environment of Greater Montréal. Montréal International—a non-profit organization—is funded by the private sector, the governments of Canada and Québec, the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (Montréal Metropolitan Community) and the City of Montréal.
Since its creation, Montréal International has helped to attract $9.4 billion in foreign direct investments to Greater Montréal. From these investments, more than 49,000 jobs have been created or maintained. To date, MI's activities have also allowed almost half of some 60 international organizations to establish themselves in the city and attract and retain more than 8,000 international strategic workers.
SOURCE: Montréal International
Céline Clément
Communications Advisor
Montréal International
Tel.: 514-987-9317
Cell: 514-892-4030
[email protected]
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