2021/11/11

Investment at Price

Price, November 10, 2021 - Groupe Lebel continues to invest in all its sites. For this family enterprise, the sustainability of the resources and operations is what is most important. For the Price factory, the investment consists of the construction of a brand-new building that will house state-of-the-art facilities to increase the efficiency of its operations.

"This investment of twelve million dollars is part of our overall plan to equip all of our factories with more efficient equipment. We chose to invest in this site because we believe in it, and it allows us to remain competitive in the market. Until now, one of the characteristics of Price's factory was that sawing and planing used the same equipment for trimming, sorting, and stacking lumber, for both rough and planed lumber. From now on, this factory will have the particularity of being equipped with its own equipment, which will allow it complete autonomy and increased flexibility, "said Frédéric Lebel, President and CEO of Groupe Lebel.

“What is more, the addition of this new equipment will allow us to better meet demand by increasing annual production by 50%, starting in April 2022. In the current context, we are considering an increased supply in terms of purchases from private forests. The reason being that in Bas-Saint-Laurent, we must cope with the raging spruce budworm epidemic. This therefore makes available an inventory of wood with a smaller diameter,” explained Mr. Lebel.

For Donald Lebel, director of sawmills, there is no doubt that production increases will also be possible when the small-dimensioned lumber line is put back into continuous operation. “We plan to open a 2nd faction and train our staff on new processes, in addition to hiring new employees. "

Yannick Caron, director of the Price factory, meanwhile, was eager for the announcement:

"At Groupe Lebel, we are enthusiastic about meaningful projects to improve our working conditions. The addition of an optimizer for the planer is also planned for the start of the quarter in 2022. We are really proud to present the building we have dreamed of so much,” he mentioned, revealing the plans and photos of the site to employees present.

GROUPE LEBEL

Groupe Lebel's first factory was purchased from Squatec, by its founder, in 1956. Since then, a multitude of sawmills, treated lumber and value-added products have been added to the family enterprise. Proud of its 65 years of existence, the company continues to grow and can now count on more than 1,200 employees working in its 19 sawmills and value-added products in addition to its head office. Groupe Lebel is one of the leading forest producers in Eastern Canada. Groupe Lebel is present and provides continuous support to the communities where the sites are located, namely fifteen municipalities in Quebec, two in Ontario and one in Maine in the United States.