During the year, the Fonds régionaux de solidarité FTQ moved past the $1 billion mark invested in Québec SMEs since 1996
Gaspé, Québec, September 3, 2020 – The Fonds régionaux de solidarité FTQ Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine (FRS) have invested in Hôtel & Cie and Pêcheries Yan Bourdages, two successful local companies.
Hôtel & Cie
This hotel in Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, built in the 1970s, changed owners several times in its early decades. In the summer of 2012, it was acquired by Daniel Gasse, owner of the restaurant La Broue dans l’Toupet in Mont-Louis. Following year-long renovations, Hôtel & Cie, including the restaurant La Broue dans l’Toupet, opened in September 2013. Since April 2019, Daniel has owned 75% of the company and Anna Nathalie Gasse the remaining 25%. The financing from the FRS Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine was provided to help with a share buyback.
Pêcheries Yan Bourdages
Yan Bourdages began fishing at age 13 as a deckhand on his uncle’s boat during the summer school holidays. At age 23, he completed his courses as a fishing vessel captain. In March 2015, then 37, he acquired his uncle’s business, which included various fishing licences as well as a fishing boat. Since then, he has operated a saltwater fishing business, has been the owner of the vessel Amélie Zoé II and has held a licence to catch snow crab, shrimp and groundfish. Yan recently acquired a new vessel and additional licences to diversify his catch. On two occasions, financing from the FRS Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine has enabled this Gaspé-based entrepreneur to pursue his development and expansion projects.
Quotes
“We are pleased to be able to benefit from the expertise of the FRS Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine to support us in our growth process,” says Daniel Gasse, President of Hôtel & Cie. “We intend to maintain our leadership position in the hotel sector in the Haute-Gaspésie region, among other things by improving our rating. Our 42 units already have a four-star ranking.”
“To grow my fishing business, I plan to operate for eight to 10 months a year, with two crews working alternately,” states Yan Bourdages, President of Pêcheries Yan Bourdages. “My latest acquisition will enable me to fish almost year-round, with greater hold capacity. I am grateful for the support provided by the team at the FRS Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine, helping me to pursue these various projects.”
“We are pleased to partner with Hôtel & Cie, the finest hotel establishment in the Haute-Gaspésie regional municipality, with a business and tourism clientele,” adds David Lord, Regional Vice-President of the Fonds régionaux de solidarité FTQ for the Bas-Saint-Laurent and Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine regions. “We are also delighted to be supporting the projects of Yan Bourdages, a determined fisher recognized in his industry. These are visionary entrepreneurs and very good managers. Our team is proud to be supporting them and providing advice to help them take better advantage of the right opportunities and to stay on top of new projects that will help them grow.”
“The past year has been very active for the FRS network, which has topped the billion-dollar mark in investments in Québec SMEs,” concludes Luc Pinard, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Fonds régionaux de solidarité FTQ. “With their intimate knowledge of local economies and solid roots in the communities they serve, the FRS play a key role with entrepreneurs. In addition to supporting their projects financially and driving their development, the FRS provide valuable consulting services, which are especially helpful for navigating the pandemic with its many challenges.”
The 16 offices of the Fonds régionaux de solidarité FTQ provide small and mid-sized enterprises with customized business solutions through loans or equity. Each product is developed with a company’s characteristics and the regional economic reality taken into account. Loans from the FRS, made without guarantees or personal sureties, are free of legal and management fees and are intended to complement the financing provided by traditional financial institutions.
About the Fonds régionaux de solidarité FTQ
The Fonds régionaux de solidarité FTQ have been participating in the economic development of Québec’s regions for over 24 years. Created in 1996, the Fonds régionaux have invested just over $1 billion in 1,400 companies, helping to create, maintain or protect close to 52,000 jobs.
About Hôtel & Cie
Daniel Gasse and Anna Nathalie Gasse have taken up the challenge of redefining hotel standards in the Haute-Gaspésie region. Hôtel & Cie is the only four-star hotel in the city of Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, befitting a vibrant region that is experiencing a renewal. The hotel offers 42 contemporary-style rooms combining comfort and function. Foodies will enjoy the restaurant La Broue dans l’Toupet, with a pub menu concocted with care and know-how, and featuring local products from the Gaspésie region. The décor is inviting, the atmosphere is relaxed and unpretentious, and the service is attentive.
About Pêcheries Yan Bourdages
Based in Gaspé, Yan Bourdages specializes in saltwater fishing. It owns the fishing vessel Amélie Zoé II as well as the Meridian 66, and it holds a licence to harvest snow crab, shrimp and groundfish.
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