The renaissance of shipbuilding in the region continues with the arrival in Quebec of a world leader who will soon set up its first subsidiary in Canada.
The ALMACO Group, which specializes in complete shipbuilding solutions, has chosen Quebec to expand its activities.
As a supplier, ALMACO builds and modernizes all the interior spaces of ships such as cabins, superstructures, public areas or galleys, both for passengers and sailors.
In particular, the company provides comprehensive support to shipyards.
For the moment, the work is mainly concentrated in Europe, but the situation could change a little with the recent investments of the Canadian government.
“Choosing Quebec is very simple. We have previous experience with Davie, and Canadian shipyards will be busy for the next 10 or 20 years if we look at the number of ships that will be built,” said Joseph Keripel, Director of Business Development at ALMACO Canada Group.
big challenge
However, the commandant is well aware of the serious shortage of manpower affecting the entire province of Quebec.
Employment in Quebec fell in April, but the unemployment rate also fell slightly to 3.9%, according to Statistics Canada.
The unemployment rate in Quebec fell from 4.1% in March to 3.9% in April, the lowest rate ever recorded in the province.
This number is lower in the Quebec region, but the company does not seem unnecessarily worried.
“We have no difficulty finding qualified workers. They exist even if there are not enough of them. It is clear that this is a challenge that we will have to face in the next two years,” added Mr. Kiripel.
important projects
Founded in 1998, ALMACO has executed over 300 projects in over 40 locations.
The group has offices in Brazil, China, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Singapore and the United States.
By setting up in Canada, ALMACO intends to bring its know-how to the region and the country, while strengthening existing partnerships.
Wilhelm Roberts, CEO and main shareholder of the ALMACO Group also declared that “Canada represents one of the most promising markets for shipbuilding”.
In 2020, Quebec secured more than $793 million in contracts under Shipyard Canada’s National Strategy (SNCN).
The long-term project aims to resupply the federal fleet of combat and non-combat vessels.
The establishment of its Canadian subsidiary in Quebec will finally allow ALMACO to bring in local professionals, suppliers and subcontractors.
“We will stay here for a long time,” hopes Kiripel.
ALMACO.
- The objective is to obtain 5 to 10 contracts for your Quebec team.
- The value of these contracts can vary between US$50 million and US$100 million each.
- The company wants to hire 100 to 300 local workers for each of the contracts.
- In Lévis, Chantier Davie is one of the places where you can use the services of ALMACO.
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