National Bank Announces Winners of the Tenth Annual 'SMEs of the National Bank' Recognition Program

Montreal, 27 October 2003 - 

The National Bank today announced the provincial winners in the 10th edition of its "SMEs of the National Bank" recognition program.

The prizes were awarded at a gala at Montreal's Sheraton Centre on October 24, attended by more than 300 guests, including the regional finalists in all categories, members of the National Bank's senior management and various Quebec business leaders.

The "SMEs of the National Bank" recognition program is a way to pay tribute to the Bank's small and medium-size business clients who have distinguished themselves through their achievements and performance over the past year. Réal Raymond, President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Bank, presided the event and unveiled the names of the four provincial winners in the Small Business, SME, Agricultural SME and Export SME categories.

The winner in the SME category was BHM Medical Inc. of Magog. The goal of this company, headed by Christian DeGrâce, is to become a world leader in the research, design and manufacture of patient lifts. Since 1991, the company has built up an impressive line of equipment. Over 50% of its sales are currently intended for markets in the United States, Europe, Japan and Australia. Track lifts – one of the company's specialties – are even sold by other manufacturers, which attests to the product's quality.

In the Small Business category, the winning company was OmegaChem Inc. of Lévis. Under the direction of François Laflamme, OmegaChem develops, manufactures and distributes various specialized products, including synthetic molecules, amino acid derivatives, chiral auxiliaries and other highly-specialized organic chemistry products with considerable value added. Its solid expertise in research and development and its structural growth have earned OmegaChem the respect of the world's pharmaceutical giants.

Operated by Jean-René Fortin, Pépinière C.P.P.F.Q. inc. of Sainte-Anne de Beaupré took top honours in the Agricultural SME category. This nursery specializes in the production of tree seedlings for reforesting Quebec's forests. Founded in 1983, it has a production capacity of 12.5 million plants per year. It also grows 10,000 potted deciduous trees measuring 2.5 metres, which are marketed under the brand name Les Arbres DICI.

In the Export SME category, the winner was FluoroSeal Inc. of Montreal. Headed by Ziad G. Homsy and Riad A. Haffar, the company moved its U.S. plant to Montreal after buying the assets of a company specialized in industrial valves. With exports accounting for more than 95% of its business, FluoroSeal serves markets in North America, as well as Australia, Chile and South Korea. To penetrate the Asian market while keeping costs in check, FluoroSeal will soon be opening an office in China.

Mr. Raymond recalled that the National Bank has become the leading bank for small and medium-sized businesses in Quebec because it is a partner and ally of SMEs and that this recognition program symbolizes the Bank's commitment to these businesses, which are the driving force of Quebec's economy.

"This marks the 10th year that the Bank has celebrated the talent, innovative spirit and keen business sense of several hundred of Quebec's small and medium-sized enterprises," Mr. Raymond added. "In every region of the province, new companies are taking root, leading to more projects, new jobs and increased wealth. The Bank's role in this process is to stimulate talent, foster success and play an instrumental role in economic development. It's a challenge, in fact, that SMEs have been helping us take up for 144 years!"

The four provincial winners of the National Bank's recognition program will be rewarded in a number of ways. All will appear in a visibility campaign in major Quebec dailies belonging to the Réseau Probec. Each winner will also be featured in a 3-part series of reports to be televised during the week of November 24 (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) as part of the Salut, Bonjour! morning show on the TVA network.

The winners in the Agricultural SME, Small Business and SME categories each received two airline tickets for Paris while the winner in the Export SME category received $5,000 in airfare, courtesy of National Bank Financial.

Selection process and partnerships

The winners in the Small Business, SME and Agricultural SME categories were selected from among the winners in the Bank's 10 provincial regions based on a number of criteria, such as their competence, their energy and the excellence of their human resources management. The Export SME winner was chosen from a list of provincial finalists who were selected for their recent success on export markets. All the winners were selected by a panel made up of individuals from the business community who followed a rigorous selection process overseen by the accounting firm Samson Bélair/Deloitte & Touche.

Once again this year, the National Bank's recognition program was widely supported by the business community and sponsorships from prestigious companies such as IBM, Coopérative fédérée de Québec, TVA, Samson Bélair/Deloitte & Touche, the French-language newspapers La Presse, Le Soleil, Le Droit, Le Nouvelliste, La Tribune, Le Quotidien and La Voix de l'Est, and National Bank Financial.

About the National Bank

National Bank of Canada is an integrated group which provides comprehensive financial services to consumers, small and medium-sized enterprises and large corporations in its core market, while offering specialized services to its customers elsewhere in the world. The National Bank offers a full array of banking services, including corporate and investment banking. It is an active player on international capital markets and, through its subsidiaries, is involved in securities brokerage, insurance and wealth management, as well as mutual fund and retirement plan management. The National Bank has more than $75 billion in assets and, together with its subsidiaries, employs over 17,000 people. The Bank's securities are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (NA: TSX). For more information, visit the Bank's website at www.nbc.ca.

Information (the telephone number and e-mail address provided below are for the exclusive use of journalists and other media representatives):

Denis Dubé
Director – Public Relations
National Bank of Canada
Tel.: (514) 394-8644
E-mail: denis.dube@nbc.ca