Strawberry plant producer Production Lareault has new owners in Quebec thanks in particular to a loan from the FTQ Solidarity Fund.
With its 183 hectares in Lanaudière, the Lavaltrie company, which celebrates its 70th anniversary this year, will now be owned by Antoine Casimir and Andrea Borodenko. The previous owners, Lyne and Luc Lareault, sold this flagship of the Quebec agri-food industry.
The transaction, the amount of which was not disclosed, was carried out thanks to loans from Fonds de solidarité FTQ, Desjardins and Financing agricole Canada, Production Lareault announced in a press release on Thursday.
The new owners, happy for the company to remain headquartered in Quebec, assured they would keep all employees there while the Lareaults could help ensure a “harmonious” transition.
“Whether it is support or financing, there are solutions for entrepreneurs who want to offer a promising future to the business they are building and for buyers who want to contribute to the local economy,” explained Janie C. Béïque, President and CEO of the Solidarity Fund FTQ.
“This transaction is excellent news for the agri-food sector,” said Jean-Yves Bourgeois, Senior Vice-President, Business Services at Desjardins Group.