"At the end of this first round, it is with great pride that we unveil the local winners for the Matawinie RCM of the Concours québécois en entrepreneuriat Lanaudière," said Gaétan Morin, Prefect of the Matawinie RCM, as he presented the certificates.
Paysage Gourmanda Rawdon-based company, was awarded the prize in the Services for individuals. The jury was impressed by the company's offer of consultation, design and implementation services for low-maintenance edible landscaping. Guillaume Pelland, the man at the helm of this company, also runs a nursery and offers edible plant products, without chemical fertilizers or pesticides, including perennials and indigenous plants. The 140 species and 300 varieties of plants are chosen for their visual and culinary appeal. To maximize garden yield, Paysage Gourmand also offers the service of creating utilitarian spaces that are at once artistic, functional and productive!
In the Tradethe Café Ohana stood out from the crowd. Driven by a passion for coffee, Geneviève Mercier and Geneviève Cloutier have opened their café in Saint-Donat. A healthy menu, made from local produce and cooked on site, is offered. As soon as the warm rays appear, Café Ohana's terrace becomes the place to be, where residents and vacationers alike can enjoy quality, locally-roasted coffee.
On his side, The Blue-Footed Oak distinguished itself in the Corporate Services. From Sainte-Béatrix, Daniel Lachance pursues his mission of restoring the forest's role as a source of food, while enhancing the aesthetics of the area. Le Chêne aux pieds bleus carries out inventories and characterization plans for non-timber forest products (NTFPs) and forest vegetable orchards. Its owner is also developing permaculture and design, as well as sculpture gardens integrating timber forest products. In a context of sustainable development, the company works in partnership with other resources involved in the NTFP sector.
The company CNC Brunet pleased the judges in the Farming, processing, productionThe company's promoter, Dominic Brunet, is looking to acquire two CNC machines in order to offer a machining service that will meet his customers' quality standards and requirements. CNC Brunet will manufacture small parts in the constantly evolving metal sector. Based in Saint-Côme, the company recruits its customers from SMEs in the Laurentians and the greater Lanaudière region.
Regional jury members will be responsible for awarding special prizes. As a result, some local candidates go straight to the next level. These include La Source Bains Nordiques in Rawdon in the Prix Réussite inc. category, Le Recorder Center of Rawdon is eligible in the Business Transfer category, and last but not least, the COOPSOM - Coopérative de solidarité de la Matawinie and the Cooperative La Maison du Pain d'Épices will be in the running for the Social Economy prize.
These companies are now heading for the second part of the competition. The regional winners will be announced on May 7. "We wish the best of luck to these ambassadors of the Matawinie region, who are passionate about making our region more dynamic," concluded Mr. Morin.
Popular vote
All local winners from the Lanaudière region will be showcased from April 17 on www.entreprenez.qc.ca. The public is invited to vote for their favorite project. The winning company will be announced at the regional Gala on May 7, presented at the Berthier Golf Club in the D'Autray MRC.
A regional consultation
For many years, the success of the entrepreneurial adventure in Lanaudière has been the fruit of close collaboration between the region's schools and economic development organizations. The Contest is coordinated by Lanaudière Économique and, for this 16th editione edition, implemented jointly by the CLD and the SADC de la MRC de D'Autray. It is also overseen by stakeholders from the Centres locaux de développement (CLD), Sociétés d'aide au développement de la collectivité (SADC), Carrefours jeunesse-emploi (CJE), Coopérative de développement régional de Lanaudière, Commission scolaire des Affluents and Commission scolaire des Samares.