Desjardins Entrepreneur Prizes honour 11 outstanding businesses

Québec, October 7, 2009 – Desjardins Group, the largest financial institution in Québec, announced yesterday the names of the winners for the Desjardins Entrepreneur Prizes. The prizes were awarded at a gala evening hosted by Monique F. Leroux, Chair of the Board, President and CEO of Desjardins Group. These prestigious awards showcase the excellence of local businesses and their active contribution to regional economic development.

Ms. Leroux highlighted the leadership and creativity of the award-winning entrepreneurs. "Desjardins is proud to support these entrepreneurs on a daily basis so that they may continue to be a dynamic and energetic force within the community. Not only do these Desjardins Entrepreneur Prizes allow us to honour the courage and tenacity of many of them, but also to give them a boost for the future."

International Commerce category, in collaboration with Export Development Canada

The winners are (tie):

Honco Steel Buildings, Lévis – Francis Lacasse, President
Sonaca Montréal, St-Janvier – Philippe Hoste, Chief Executive Officer

Agriculture category

Le Domaine du Parc Reg'd., Sainte-Élisabeth – Denis Ouellet and Josée Rainville, Co-owners

Business Ownership Transfer category, in collaboration with Samson Bélair/Deloitte & Touche

Dubé & Loiselle Inc., Granby – Daniel Lachapelle, President

Young Entrepreneur category, in collaboration with the Secrétariat à la jeunesse

Winners in this category received a $10,000 bursary from Fondation Desjardins.

Eastern Québec region:
Synertek Industries, St-Romuald – Jean-François Boutin, Vice-President of Sales

Western Québec region:
Zorah Biocosmetics Inc., Montréal – Mélissa Harvey, President

Central Québec region:
Le Trou du Diable Microbrewery, Shawinigan – Isaac Tremblay, President and CEO

Sustainable Development category, in collaboration with Bell

Eastern Québec region:
Roche Ltd., Consulting Group, Québec City – Mario W. Martel, President and Chief Executive Officer

Western Québec region:
Produits de marque Liberté Inc., Saint-Hubert – Martin Valiquette, General Manager

Central Québec region:
Auberge Le Baluchon, Saint-Paulin – Louis Lessard, President

Ontario:
Bridgehead (2000) inc., Ottawa – Tracey Clark, Managing Director

In addition to the partners for each of the prize categories, Desjardins would also like to thank Les Affaires newspaper and Fasken Martineau Dumoulin for their collaboration.

For more information on the award winners, visit: www.desjardins.com/entrepreneurshipprizes.

About Desjardins

Desjardins Group is the largest cooperative financial group in Canada, and the ninth largest in the world, with overall assets of approximately $160 billion. Drawing on the strength of its caisse network in Québec and Ontario, as well as its subsidiaries, several of which are active throughout Canada, Desjardins offers a full range of financial products and services to its 5.8 million individual and business members and clients. Desjardins Group is also home to a wealth of expertise in property and casualty insurance, life and health insurance, wealth management, services for businesses of all sizes, securities brokerage, venture capital, asset management and secure leading-edge virtual access methods, all part of an integrated offer that is the only one of its kind in Canada. One of the largest employers in the country, Desjardins is backed by the knowledge and skills of its 42,000 employees and the commitment of its 6,300 elected officers. To find out more, consult www.desjardins.com.

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Source (for journalists only) :
André Chapleau
Director, Information and Media Relations
Desjardins Group
514-281-7229 or 1-866-866-7000, ext. 7229