The organization has stood out in the past five years for its contribution to local economic development
Montréal, November 25, 2019 – Thanks to the excellent financial performance of its local solidarity fund (FLS) and its contribution to local economic development, PME MTL Centre-Est is the recipient of the 2019 Performance prize awarded by the Fonds locaux de solidarité FTQ.
“Created in 2016, the Performance prize is awarded to the FLS with the best five-year performance,” said Éric Desaulniers, general manager of the Fonds locaux de solidarité FTQ. “The FLS are judged on the average number of projects financed, average return and use of funds. Congratulations to the PME MTL Centre-Est team, which has stood out for its dynamism and work on the ground in the past five years.”
“The FLS is an important financial tool for the growth of Montréal businesses. In co-operation with our PME MTL fund, the FLS offers growth capital to businesses with viable and profitable projects that create jobs,” said Jean-François Lalonde, Executive Director of PME MTL Centre-Est.
“As the representative voice of the regions, the Fédération québécoise des municipalités is pleased to make a tangible contribution to the growth of Québec’s RCMs’. The FQM and the Fonds de solidarité FTQ have been working together for almost 28 years now, and it’s the reason the FLS network exists. PME MTL Centre-Est’s excellent results demonstrate the need for such a partnership which has helped create jobs everywhere in Québec and strengthen our regions. Congratulations to the finalists for their contribution to the economic development of their community,” said for his part Jacques Demers, FQM President, Mayor of Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley and reeve of the RCM of Memphrémagog.
Situated near downtown Montréal, the Centre-East is an attractive area with many business opportunities and dynamic, diverse and innovative employment possibilities in such promising sectors as sustainable development, social innovation and technology. PME MTL Centre-Est serves entrepreneurs in the Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie and Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension boroughs.
The other finalists were the Basques and Laurentides RCMs.
Created by the Fonds de solidarité FTQ and the Fédération québécoise des municipalités in 1991, the FLS network owes its growth to increasing involvement by municipal officials and local partners like PME MTL Centre-Est. Businesses can obtain loans of up to $100,000 from the FLS.
As at December 31, 2018, the FLS invested over $149 million in 4,922 projects, thus supporting 42,603 jobs.
There are 86 Fonds locaux de solidarité accros Québec today.
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