Touching wood to ward off the crisis…

Based in Sacré-Cœur in the Haute-Côte-Nord region, Granulco is earning its living off the forest despite the otherwise tough times plaguing the industry. In fact, this manufacturer of energy-efficient wood pellets for use in residential and commercial heating and in horse litter is not only holding its own—it's moving briskly along the path to success.  

This fledgling firm, only just established in 2009, has a long-term vision. Indeed, the company's founders have believed from the very beginning that primary and secondary wood processing is the way to go to help diversify the Haute-Côte-Nord economy and build prosperity for the region's communities. Finding uses for forest waste means investing in the future, and Granulco is proving that environmental responsibility and commercial success are not mutually exclusive.

In an age when ecological considerations are imperative, this enterprise fully adheres to the principles of sustainable development, meeting the very highest industrial standards in terms of energy efficiency and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, it has adopted a simple and effective formula for creating customer loyalty and securing its own corporate growth:  to manufacture superior-quality products.

Granulco operates in a niche market where demand is on a constant rise. With conquering the eastern North American market as its short- and mid-term goal, the company intends to rapidly bolster production in order to capitalize on this growing momentum. Just recently, the firm signed a major exclusivity contract with a leading Eastern Canadian retail chain to supply its products to all of the chain's stores. Over the longer range, the company hopes to develop new value-added products derived from forest biomass in order to further pursue its expansion.

Canada Economic Development is proud to have supported the startup of Granulco, an initiative that arose from the mobilized efforts of the citizens of Sacré-Cœur and members of the Innue Essipit First Nation and was made possible by government funding.  

Fully engaged in its community, Granulco embodies the determination of the region's citizens to build a future based on partnership and pooled resources. It is linked to the First Nation community through an integrated management agreement that respects traditional Innu practices. Indeed, the Aboriginal community is present among Granulco's shareholders who, as a whole, represent the local forestry, cooperative, community, financial and socioeconomic sectors.

The final words are reserved for the company's President, Bastien Deschênes: "I am often asked what I believe is the reason for Granulco's success. The answer is simple: solid partnerships and strong community pride. In short, the key to our success is the people, those who work together to make things happen, create wealth and thrive in the jobs they do, all in the heart of a lively and vibrant community."

Granulco is—without a shadow of a doubt—a true success story. But it is also the very picture of an innovative enterprise that is continuing to invent itself each and every day.