If your company specializes in raw metals processing, Québec has abundant natural resources, as well as:

• A qualified labour force and top expertise;
• A wide range of suppliers and contractors;
• Tax incentives to foster research & development activities.

Québec is the world's third-largest producer of aluminum. Several multinational companies, such as Rio Tinto (including Rio Tinto Alcan),  Alcoa and Aluminerie Alouette, have chosen to set up their operations in Québec and benefit from significant competitive advantages, which include:

• Abundant and affordable hydroelectric power;
• A network of connecting waterways facilitating the supply of raw materials and the export of finished products; and
• Proximity to the U.S. market.

The Québec government has reiterated its support for the aluminum industry by partnering with a number of major investment projects. Examples include the Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean capital program worth over $2 billion and announced by Alcan (now Rio Tinto Alcan, or RTA) in December 2006, and the modernization and expansion project announced for Alcoa's Baie-Comeau aluminum smelter in March 2008.

RTA's capital program calls for the construction of a pilot plant to further development of the new AP50 technology to prepare for worldwide commercialization. The program also entails expanding a plant. In addition to making an additional 225 MW of power available, the Québec government is also giving the company financial assistance.

The Alcoa project involves modernizing and expanding the Baie-Comeau smelter, an investment worth $1.2 billion. As well as renewing the current block of energy and financial assistance, the government has allotted an additional 175 MW of power. The agreement between the two parties allows for continued operations at the Baie-Comeau, Deschambault and Bécancours smelters.

"We found in the Montréal area suitable infrastructures, a qualified workforce which is more stable than anywhere else, and key players in the lightweight metal industry. Furthermore, the Québec government offers benefits that are usually reserved for new ventures."— Leif Bronken, Executive Vice-President, Raufoss Neuman, 2009

Your company is growth-minded. Expand your horizons in Québec.