INVEST QUÉBEC

Survey of Foreign investors
Québec for So Many Reason

Subsidiaries of foreign firms that have set up operations in Québec are delighted to be here: 91% consider their business experience in Québec to be positive, most of them would invest here again and half say that their Québec operations outperform their sister companies in other countries.

These results come from a survey of multinational firms in Québec conducted by the independent copnsulting firm CAI Corporate Affairs International.

A Launching Pad for International Business

Directors of Québec subsidiaries are not worried abot the globalization of trade, far from it: seven out of ten feel that Québec is increasingly competitive on the international scene and well equipped to deal with evolving markets. The respondents must know what they're talking about, for 70% of them already have world or North American mandates. Moreover, close to half of such subsidiaries are currently seeking new mandates or working on expanding existing ones.

A Top-Notch Labour Force

Nine out of ten respondents cited the quality of the labour force as one of the factors that attracted them to the Province. More than 20% said that in their activity sectors the labour force in Québec is a cut abouve any other industrialized nation. Not only are Québec workers more skilled, flexible and productive, but they also boast turnover and absenteeism rates among the lowest in North America.

Some of the other factors that encouraged them to choose Québec include the quality of transportation and communication infrastructures and the numerous industrial parks and research centres (79%), the proximity of 360 million North American consumers (67%), government support (66%) and quality of life (62%).

A Different Business Culture: A Definite Plus

Survey respondents noted that the business culture in Québec is markedly different from other North American business centres. For example, they mentioned not only the Province's bilingualism, but also its government's proactive approach, Québeckers entrepreneurial spirit, the solidarity among employers, unions and government and its quality of life and cosmopolitan flavour. They saw these as undeniable benefits for any company seeking a location offering long-term competitiveness and profitability.