It’s a bit like the world turned upside down. While many dream of exporting, Averna Technologies is preparing to increase its presence in Quebec. The Montreal company only generates 3% of its turnover here. But thanks to the battery industry for electric vehicles which is currently taking off in this corner of America, things could change.
Averna Technologies is, as its CEO, François Rainville, indicates, a very well-kept secret. For the SME of 400 employees, including 100 at the Montreal head office, 75 in the United States and 75 in Mexico, Quebec represents only a small percentage of its annual sales of $100 million.
The company presents itself as the world leader in test and control engineering solutions. Its main specialty: it installs automated stations to test and control the quality of components, parts, as well as final products on assembly and assembly lines.
The SME works in particular in the automotive and transport, life sciences, telecommunications and consumer electronics sectors.
Averna has offices in nine countries. It deploys its automated inspection units mainly in factories in Asia, Mexico and Eastern Europe. Last spring, it acquired a company in Germany. This gave it access to the prestigious and very innovative German automobile sector, which is resolutely taking an electric turn.
The existence in Quebec of a player of Averna’s caliber therefore bodes well for the young Quebec electric battery industry. However, nothing should be taken for granted, Mr. Rainville emphasizes.
“There is a culture in Canada of wanting to do everything yourself,” he laments. Time to market is not always given enough consideration. Many companies want to control everything and therefore fall behind instead of creating partnerships with people like us. »
Que Québec inc. consoles itself: Averna already works in partnership with local companies. Flo, one of the largest manufacturers of charging stations on the continent (95,000 residential, private and public terminals installed to date) is part of the lot. Averna will, among other things, test the new generation of Flo charging stations.
“Flo understood the importance of time to market and therefore of creating partnerships. Americans think a lot like that too,” argues François Rainville.
Averna was a key player during the inshoring process in the United States during the pandemic.
Thanks to the arrival of new shareholders in 2012 (Walter Capital, Investissement Québec and Groupe W Investissements), and claiming to be in very good financial health, the Quebec company wants to continue to develop global partnerships with its clients. New acquisitions are also in the SME’s bag.
“I am in communication with 20 companies from all over the world,” reveals François Rainville. We have an agreement in principle with a particular player. We keep our eyes open. »