by Denis St-Gelais

In 1991, Researchers at the National Optics Institute (NOI), Claude-Adrien Noel and his associate Michel Bédard decide to partake in a competition "Devenez entrepreneur". Their initial project is to design a fibre optic thermometer. This contest requires the participants to create a fictitious company. But the project which they submitted was all but imaginary. Nortech Fibronic was born!

After having won first place at the three levels of competition - municipal, regional and provincial - and having obtained a $25,000 grant, the two men went permanently into business. During the two first years of operations, Nortech Fibronic survived thanks to development contracts carried out at the request of other companies. It's not until 1993 that the fibre optic thermometer, the initial project, is finally ready. As of that moment, the growth of the company has been progressing constantly. "It's currently growing at more than 100% and that's possible thanks to the three divisions of the company: the receivers division, the telecommunications division, and the one with the strongest growth, the optic receivers division. But also, thanks to recent investments," confides Claude-Adrien Noel.

An Ontario company moves to Québec

Recently, Nortech Fibronic has acquired an Ontarian company which it has moved in its entirety to Québec City. "The purchase of Antel Optronics Inc. is a recuperation. For once, it's Québec which brings something back home. They had a turnover of $3.6 million and we only acquired the assets of the group, without burdening ourselves with the rest," states the president of Nortech. In fact, not a single one of the Ontario jobs was preserved and the factory has been moved entirely right next door to the present installations of Nortech, located on Saint-Jean-Baptiste road, in Sainte-Foy. "The parts of the company arrived here disassembled with a number scheme, and they were rebuilt exactly as they were in Ontario. Just like a Mechano set," he says smiling.

By improving the quality of Antel's products and by accelerating production delays, Nortech has succeeded in recovering the main client of the former company, which, according to Claude-Adrien Noel, has shown great satisfaction with the performance of the new owners: "The digestion of the new subsidiary has proven very easy. The Europeans with whom we have contacts have been very impressed by our capacity to so rapidly integrate a new division into our present structure."

China, our most important market

Nortech Fibronic exports about 95% of its production abroad. Asia is its most important market, followed by Europe and North America. "Its in Asia that we do our most successful business, explains the president of Nortech. China, in particular, is our most important market. This country has a fabulous potential for development. The relations we have with the Chinese are however extremely complex." Even if it's especially through Hong Kong that contacts are made, for Claude-Adrien Noel, the best way to deal with the Chinese is to do it directly, without middle-men

In Japan, things are simpler. Even if this country represents the most important competitor for Nortech Fibronic, business is easier to do. "Japan has a more American way of doing things. Their participation in the G7 obliges them to do so, states Mr. Noel. However, for us, it's China which represents the most interesting challenge. It's uplifting and it can payoff big time if we make a break-through. Let's not forget that this country represents 50% of all the Asian market."

Teamwork

For the management of Nortech, employees represent a great stregnth. From the 40 who currently work in the company, they'll likely go up to 70 before the end of the year. A large number are university graduates specialized in research. "Employers often fear surrounding themselves with people who are more intelligent and competant than they are, admits Claude-Adrien Noel. However, one must understand that, in a company, all depends on teamwork. Here, at Nortech, that approach is crucial. We aim to soon set up a simultaneous engineering project which will consist in designing a device by involving the work of all the divisions of the company. It will be real teamwork and, if the result is conclusive, it will lead to the production of a quality product." At Nortech, it is stated that success is not made to the detriment of the employees, but by stimulating their creativity

Since 1991, Nortech Fibronic has gone from an initial budget of $25,000 to a turnover of several million. Secretive, the businessman refuses to divulge the exact amount but he confides that, today, he pays much more in taxes to both levels of government than the initial amount he and Michel Bédard had to launch the company. And in addition, Nortech's growth is booming...

Indeed, what most excites Claude-Adrien these days, is a deal kept totally secret, until it's definitely achieved: the acquisition of a new company whose size is greater than that of Antel and Nortech combined. The deal should be sealed at the beginning of this fall

To improve its marketing, the company has also installed offices in Paris, Dallas and Toronto. In the near future, two more will be added to the list: one in Asia and another in South America. "The rate of growth of the company will be even greater in the future, affirms Mr. Noel. In addition to this secret transaction, we fully expect to acquire a company whose activity will borderline ours. As my associate, Michel Bédard, says, Nortech is a small company acting like a big one," concludes the businessman.

At the end of the interview, C.-A. Noel was beginning a week of well deserved vacations. Just recently returned from a two month stay abroad, he hopes his family won't feel too much like traveling!