Equity firm acquires 40% stake in Canadian architectural woodworking firm

Photo By Beaubois

SAINT-GEORGES, Quebec — Equity firm, Norea Capital, joins brothers Pierre and Francis Pomerleau, as well as the employee shareholders of Beaubois, by acquiring over 40% of the company’s shares. The investment will allow the company to implement its acquisition strategy in the United States, and support the company in its goal of becoming a "reference in automation in North America."

“Founded in 1977 by my father, Hervé Pomerleau, Beaubois is at a turning point in its history,” said Pierre Pomerleau, Executive Chair of the Board at Pomerleau. “Thanks to our employees’ expertise and our management team’s ambitious business plan, Beaubois has become a North American reference in our industry. 

"With the support of Norea Capital as a business partner, we will be able to complete the automation of our 175,000-square-foot factory in Saint-Georges, where we design and manufacture eco-friendly architectural woodworking solutions. We will also be able to proceed with acquisitions, particularly in the United States.”

The company said the acquisitions aim to achieve three objectives:

  • Increase our manufacturing capacity,
  • Facilitate our business development in the American market by having a stronger local presence, and
  • Gain access to new clients.
     

“Beaubois is among the Quebec manufacturing companies that focus the majority of their production on American clients,” noted Luc Ménard, president and managing partner of Norea Capital. “Our decision to become a shareholder of Beaubois is based on the visionary approach of its management team, which has made the company shine here and in the United States. Its order book of over $175 million reflects Beaubois’ ability to deliver custom, high-end, and competitively priced projects in a market exceeding $2.5 billion. We also commend Beaubois’ commitment to contributing to the LEED certification of several buildings, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”

Beaubois at a glance

  • A North American leader in high-end and large-scale architectural projects for luxury hotels, courthouses, casinos, hospitals, performance halls, amphitheaters, and other innovative architectural endeavors.
  • Project sales in Canada and across the United States, covering 33 states. Notable projects include the West Block of the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa, CHUM in Montreal, the National Bank headquarters in Montreal, Senior Residences in Quebec, Dickies Arena in Fort Worth (Texas), Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando (Florida), Will County Courthouse in Joliet (Illinois), and AT&T Stadium in Arlington (Texas).
  • A modern factory of 175,000 square feet located in Saint-Georges (Quebec)
  • 285 employees, including 185 factory workers.
  • Significant investments in automation and robotics have transformed the custom production factory into a connected 4.0 production environment. To date, capacity gains of 25% have been achieved through these investments.
.

Have something to say? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

Profile picture for user larryadams
About the author
Larry Adams | Editor

Larry Adams is a Chicago-based writer and editor who writes about how things get done. A former wire service and community newspaper reporter, Larry is an award-winning writer with more than three decades of experience. In addition to writing about woodworking, he has covered science, metrology, metalworking, industrial design, quality control, imaging, Swiss and micromanufacturing . He was previously a Tabbie Award winner for his coverage of nano-based coatings technology for the automotive industry. Larry volunteers for the historic preservation group, the Kalo Foundation/Ianelli Studios, and the science-based group, Chicago Council on Science and Technology (C2ST).