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Groupe Lebel

A rich history

The story of Groupe Lebel begins in 1956, when Deniso Lebel acquired a sawmill in Squatec, in the Témiscouata region. It was the beginning of a long adventure characterized by many acquisitions and construction projects.

Since 2004, Louis-Frédéric Lebel has managed the family business from the head office in Rivière-du-Loup, adopting a flexible management style that allows him to tackle many economic challenges. Groupe Lebel is constantly expanding: over time, it has joined forces with the Bois Daaquam, Lebel Cambium, IB EWP, Les Bois Lemelin, Bois de sciage Lafontaine and Plaster Rock Lumber Corporation companies. Today, twenty-three factories and value-added product plants are part of the family business, in addition to the head office and sales office.

Groupe Lebel is one of the main lumber manufacturers in Eastern Canada to be perfectly vertically integrated, from the cutting of trees to the distribution of finished products.

Groupe Lebel’s adventure began with sawing, which continues to be its most important activity today. The company alone has fourteen sawmills with a production capacity of 900 million board-feet of lumber annually. The main species processed are fir, spruce and jack pine, and this production is distributed, green or dry, in the US and Canadian markets.

Treated lumber occupies a major place in the company, thanks to its three factories which have an annual production capacity of 120 million board-feet of wood.

Finally, value-added products are manufactured in five of our factories. We offer a wide range of them:

  • I-joists
  • interior linings
  • snow fences

Groupe Lebel is one of the leaders among forest producers in Eastern Canada. The company today employs 1,400 people in seventeen municipalities in Quebec, two in Ontario, one in New Brunswick and one in the state of Maine in the United States.

Usine de sciage - St-Joseph 1991
Usine de Daaquam
Fondateurs du Groupe Lebel 1956

Mr. Deniso Lebel and Ms. Annette Cimon-Lebel, founders of Groupe Lebel in 1956.

Usine Notre Dame du Lac
Usine de bois traité 1992
Louis-Frédéric Lebel

Mr. Louis-Frédéric Lebel, Chairman and CEO of Groupe Lebel since 2004.

Our story

First sawmill in Squatec

1956

First sawmill in Squatec

Purchase of the first sawmill in Squatec, Témiscouata by company founder Deniso Lebel.   He worked hard to establish the roots of the family business Groupe Lebel until his retirement in 2001, when the Groupe Lebel then owned nine plants in four provinces.

Sawmill in Saint-Joseph de Kamouraska

1975

Sawmill in Saint-Joseph de Kamouraska

Purchase of the St-Joseph-de-Kamouraska sawmill from the Ouellet et frères company.

Fence in Témiscouata-sur-le-Lac

1980

Fence in Témiscouata-sur-le-Lac

Purchase of the fence manufacturing factory in Témiscouata-sur-le-Lac (Notre-Dame-du-Lac) from the Clôtures Bérion company. The company would become Clôtures Témis. The assets were sold in 2003.

Plant 200 in Témiscouata-sur-le-Lac

1983

Plant 200 in Témiscouata-sur-le-Lac

Purchase of “Usine 200”, a factory in Témiscouata-sur-le-Lac (Notre-Dame-du-Lac). At the time, the factory manufactured plywood, and changed its line of work several times to become a factory of value-added products.

Bois Traitel plant in St-Joseph-de-Kamouraska

1984

Bois Traitel plant in St-Joseph-de-Kamouraska

Product diversification: construction of the Bois Traitel plant (pressure-treated wood) in St-Joseph-de-Kamouraska.

Cap-Chat (QUé.) and Kedgwick, N.B.

1991

Cap-Chat (QUé.) and Kedgwick, N.B.

Construction of the Cap-Chat sawmill in Gaspésie;  the plant was sold in 2019.  Acquisition of a sawmill in Kedgwick, N.B. The mill was sold in 2003.

Scotsburn, N.S.

1997

Scotsburn, N.S.

Acquisition of a sawmill in Scotsburn, N.S. The mill was sold in 2003.

Wood torrefaction in Cacouna

2002

Wood torrefaction in Cacouna

Purchase of a factory and installation of a thermal oven (wood torrefaction) in Cacouna. The factory has transformed over time.  Purchase of the company Poutrelles internationales in Pohénégamook (taken over by Lebcorp in 2004 until 2019).

Frédéric takes the reins of Groupe Lebel Inc.

2004

Frédéric takes the reins of Groupe Lebel Inc.

Frédéric takes the reins of Groupe Lebel Inc., and manages the plants of Squatec, St-Joseph-de-Kamouraska, Notre-Dame-du-Lac, Cap-Chat, Cacouna and Kemptville (Ont.). Groupe Lebel then had 300 employees.

Dégelis

2006

Dégelis

Purchase of the Dégelis sawmill from Bowater Inc.

Price

2008

Price

Purchase of the Price sawmill from Abitibi-Bowater Inc.

Vallée des Lacs, Biencourt and Lac-des-Aigles

2011

Vallée des Lacs, Biencourt and Lac-des-Aigles

Acquisition of the Vallée des Lacs (Squatec), Biencourt and Lac-des-Aigles sawmills from the Richard Pelletier et fils company.

The company expands with Bois Daaquam and Lebel Cambium

2014

The company expands with Bois Daaquam and Lebel Cambium

The company expands with Bois Daaquam (a sawmill in St-Just-de-Bretenières) and Lebel Cambium (treated wood and specialties from Dégelis, Bolton and Caledon).

Saint-Hilarion

2017

Saint-Hilarion

Purchase of the St-Hilarion sawmill belonging to Resolute.

Daaquam lumber: purchase of the sawmills in St-Pamphile and Masardis

2018

Daaquam lumber: purchase of the sawmills in St-Pamphile and Masardis

The company expands with Daaquam lumber: Purchase of the sawmills in St-Pamphile and Masardis (Maine) belonging to Maibec.

IB EWP

2019

IB EWP

Product diversification with the manufacturing of joists: purchase of International Beams, Pohénégamook.

Nouvelle, Gaspésie

2021

Nouvelle, Gaspésie

Purchase of the sawmill in Nouvelle, Gaspésie, owned by Temrex.

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Our management team

Photo de Louis-Frédéric Lebel

Louis-Frédéric Lebel

President and Chief Executive Officer

Photo de Stéphane Lagacé

Stéphane Lagacé

Chief Financial Officer

Photo de Gérald Baril

Gérald Baril

Director of Business Development

Photo de Normand Simard

Normand Simard

Director of Fibre Procurement

Photo de Isabelle Mailloux

Isabelle Mailloux

Director Organizational Development

Photo de Pierre-Olivier Morency

Pierre-Olivier Morency

Director Lebel Énergie

Photo de Frédérick Anctil

Frédérick Anctil

Sales Manager

Photo de Donald Lebel

Donald Lebel

Production Manager Groupe Lebel

Photo de Christian Dionne

Christian Dionne

Production Manager Bois Daaquam

Our values

Commited

Commited

Contributing to the Group's success with passion, efficiency and pleasure!

Resilient and flexible

Resilient and flexible

Acting quickly, thoughtfully and constructively when we need to adjust to different situations.

Integrity

Integrity

Acting with honesty and transparency with all partners in compliance with Group policies and procedures.

Coherent

Coherent

Acting in a human and consistent manner while respecting our objectives and commitments

Respectful

Respectful

Acting in harmony with our employees, customers, suppliers and partners as if we were all part of the same family.

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