Technology, Collaboration and Investment: A Springboard to Productivity

“Without the 180 degrees achieved with the support of Investissement Québec, our important contract with Volvo was in jeopardy,” explains Pierre Jauvin, president of Cresswell Industries, a steel manufacturing and processing company and subsidiary of the Nova Steel Group.

Our collaboration with Investissement Québec — CRIQ began in May 2021, after the company realized that its manufacturing plant was able to deliver only 25% of its products on time to its main customer, Sweden’s Volvo CE, and barely better numbers to its other customers. Permanently closing or moving to the United States were starting to become real risks.

That is when the team around Pierre and Isabelle Côté truly pulled up their sleeves. “We had to turn the company around and establish partnerships in order to meet the ever increasing demands of our customers and maintain the hundred or so jobs we established here.”

The impetus needed to reinvigorate Cresswell Industries first began with Volvo in the form of an exclusive contract targeting specific products and the addition of excavator bucket manufacturing, a product which would eventually account for at least half of the company’s sales. The growth of our other major customer Peikko then joined this momentum. “We had to be ready to change everything — our methods, our systems and our equipment—if we wanted to be able to meet demand and robotize the factory in order to achieve the right manufacturing rate and compete with European, Asian or Mexican suppliers,” says the company manager.

The involvement of Investissement Québec — CRIQ did not take long to produce concrete results. “The industrial advisors at Investissement Québec — CRIQ drew up our specifications, questioned us in order to understand our methods and needs, and offered us expertise that we could never have developed on our own.”

The results of this partnership speak for themselves. Cresswell Industries is now on its way to becoming one of the most advanced robotics and technology companies in the world. In addition, quality jobs continue to be created, profits are being generated and the company’s performance has improved significantly.

The atmosphere at work has completely changed, and the enthusiasm brought on by novelty is bringing smiles, confidence, and satisfaction to everyone. Pierre Jauvin is proud to have chosen the best partners to help him maintain a company in Quebec that is essentially an exporter and to develop exceptional partnerships with European multinationals.

Pierre Jauvin, President

Cresswell Industries