Actualités

(Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada) “We founded Johnston-Vermette 20 years ago in a tiny office in Trois-Rivières. After all these years, we can be proud of what we have accomplished.” This is how Luc Vermette, CEO of Johnston-Vermette, commented the twentieth anniversary of his engineering firm.

According to Mr. Vermette, the company has become a flagship of the regional and provincial industry and has since grown, opening an office in Montreal in 2007.
“After a year marked by economic instability in all industrial sectors, Johnston-Vermette took up the challenge of growth. With a heavy heart following the closure of Gentilly-2, we rolled up our sleeves. Our efforts have since been rewarded. All our strategic business units show positive results and we can say that we have taken the path of sustainable growth”, says Mr. Vermette.

Moreover, he asserts that ethics remains a core value of the company. “Our values are key elements of our journey and Johnston-Vermette would not be what it is today without having chosen, since its foundation, ethics as a central value. Many customers have decided, these past years, to review their criterias for the selection of suppliers by giving ethical behavior a more central position”, he was pleased to point out. This new trend, he said, is to the advantage of the company, “which has an exemplary record in this matter”.

In 2014, Johnston-Vermette worked on several major projects, including the construction of the new Sural plant in Victoriaville, a first mandate in full EPCM mode (Engineering, Procurement and Construction Management). The company also stands out with its pipeline expertise, a field in which it has become the market leader in Eastern Canada.

“We now consider Johnston-Vermette as a key player for major industrial projects in the Mauricie and Centre-du-Québec regions”, declares Luc Vermette. He admits that Johnston-Vermette generates interest in the engineering market. “In the ongoing consolidation of engineering firms in Quebec, we have been approached by several firms and have so far resisted. You can call us the Gauls of engineering as we have created our own magic potion”, he says.

Johnston-Vermette operates in the pipeline, mining & metals, chemical products and energy sectors. Its team, composed of 180 professionals, is involved in all key stages of industrial projects, including feasibility studies, preliminary and detailed design and construction supervision. The company offers its services in Quebec through its Trois-Rivières and Montreal offices, and internationally, primarily in Africa, through its subsidiary OPTEC Energy Services.

Source: Marc Rochette, Le Nouvelliste, published on April 1st, 2014