The Canadian government is making ample strides toward supporting women’s leadership in 2023, especially women entrepreneurs and leaders in business. Créations Verbois received over $500,000 in financial support from the Canada Economic Development for Québec Regions (CED). The company is owned by five stakeholders, two of which are women. The CED financial aid will allow the Québec business to purchase high-quality, optimal-performance production equipment.
“Our government has set itself the mission to support the growth of Canadian businesses and the economic diversification of communities, which cannot be done without the key contribution of our women entrepreneurs. Assisting women from Quebec who choose the path of entrepreneurship leads to inclusive growth in our regional economies, paving the way for a prosperous future,” said the Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Member of Parliament for Brome-Mississquoi and Minister of Sport and CED. “SMEs such as Créations Verbois are key drivers in our economy and our communities, and I am delighted with CED’s support for this project by this thriving business. The success and spin–offs of this project will contribute to the economic vitality of Rivière–du–Loup and the greater Bas–Saint–Laurent region.”
Créations Verbois offers modern furniture designs from dining tables and chairs, nightstands and beds, dresses, office desks, and living room tables. The company’s shares were sold to a group of Québec entrepreneurs in 2021. That included two female leaders: Marie-Ève D’Amours, Créations Verbois stakeholder and general manager, and Aglaée Côté, sales and service director. Both are trailblazers under 40, working together and with the rest of the company’s team to advance the business’s growth and profile. D’Amours and Côté play a pivotal role in the advancement of their business and Canada’s overall economic development.
In addition to offering a myriad of durable furniture products made from solid wood and brushed aluminum, the Rivière–du–Loup business makes local sourcing a priority. They’re also placing sustainability on a pedestal by reducing travel and CO2 emissions and creating local jobs for their community members. “We are delighted with CED’s support for Créations Verbois’s automation project. Thanks to this financial assistance, we will be able to integrate a new digitally controlled machine that will be loaded and unloaded by a fully autonomous robotic cell,” said D-Amours. “This new equipment will enable us to greatly increase our production capacity as we machine solid wood boards, creating even more opportunities to develop our products. This is a major addition to our fleet of machines, something we are very proud of!”
The CED will grant Créations Verbois a repayable sum of $523,104 to support business innovation and enhance its competitiveness. The funding program is a key component of the province’s regional economic development and supports a booming economy.