Les médaillés de la relève: three companies honoured
May 29, 2013
On May 28, at the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, the jury for the Médaillés de la relève competition presented by HEC Montréal, PwC and BCF Business Law crowned three businesses: Cargair/Max Aviation, JLR Recherche Immobilière and Groupe Contant. The competition, now in its seventh year, salutes private businesses in Quebec whose owners have managed to successfully hand over the reins to a team of family members or managers from within the organization.
“This year was another opportunity for us to learn about some magnificent examples of successful business transfers in Quebec,” said Jean-Paul Gagné, Chair of the jury and Editor Emeritus of Les Affaires. “The winners and finalists show that it is entirely possible for an entrepreneur to keep a business thriving from one generation to the next.”
As this year’s Honorary Chair, Isabelle Marcoux, Chair of the Board of Directors, TC Transcontinental, emphasized that “business succession is far from simple, and there is no magic recipe. This evening we are celebrating the new generation of entrepreneurs who are helping our businesses to prosper and to develop our economic strength.”
Congratulations to the winners!
Gold: Cargair/Max Aviation
Cargair has been a major player in aeronautics for more than 50 years, thanks to the Prud’homme family, owners and managers of the company, and their passion for aviation. Cargair operates the largest private flying school in Canada, recognized worldwide, while Max Aviation, a Cargair division, offers chartered transportation services. The company is now in its third generation, with Josée Prud’homme at the controls, and employs over 130 people, including 40 flight instructors and 25 pilots.
Silver: JLR Recherche Immobilière
With over 40 employees and consultants, JLR Recherche Immobilière collects, compiles and distributes real estate transactions published in the Land Registry of Quebec, in addition to providing real estate appraisal services. When it was founded in 1987 by Jacques Laroche, the company's markets consisted mainly of banks and municipalities. Since then, JLR has expanded its services to provide customized and adapted solutions to new market segments. In 2012, Félix Laroche, son of the founder, and his partner Christian Boivin took the reins of the fast-growing firm.
Bronze: Groupe Contant
Groupe Contant is one of the largest BRP (Bombardier Recreational Products) dealers in North America. It has been owned and managed by the Contant family for over 70 years, and now has three dealerships and 175 employees. The third generation of the family is involved in managing the company, with Chantal Contant serving as Chair of the Board of Directors and Director of Finance and Human Resources.
Luis Cisneros, Associate Professor, HEC Montréal; Jules Turcotte, Partner, BCF Business Law; Isabelle Marcoux, Chair of the Board of Directors, TC Transcontinental; Josée Prud’homme, President, Cargair/Max Aviation; Guy Prud’homme, Founder, Cargair/Max Aviation; Yves Bonin, Partner, PwC; Jean-Paul Gagné, Chair of the jury and Editor Emeritus of Les Affaires.
Luis Cisneros; Yves Bonin; Félix Laroche, President, JLR Recherche Immobilière; Christian Boivin, Executive Vice President, JLR Recherche Immobilière; Isabelle Marcoux; Jules Turcotte.
Isabelle Contant, Manager, Parts-Clothing-Accessories, Contant Laval; Simon Contant, Manager, Industrial Operations, Contant; Chantal Contant, Chair of the Board of Directors, and Finances and Human Resources Manager, Contant; Jean Contant, Co-Founder, Contant; Jules Turcotte; Gérard Contant, Co-Founder, Contant; Isabelle Marcoux; Yves Bonin.
Photos: Valérie Sangin. All rights reserved.