Quebec composite rebar maker Pultrall gets funding for growth

Bernard Drouin, general manager and owner of Pultrall Inc. Photo Credit: CNW Group/Fonds de solidarité FTQ

Pultrall Inc., a Thetford Mines, Que.-based producer of composite reinforced concrete, has received a “significant investment” from Fonds de solidarite FTQ, a development capital fund that invests for social impact as well as financial gain.

The amount of the investment has not been disclosed, but Fonds is now a minority shareholder in Pultrall, which specializes in the manufacturing of composite material parts using the pultrusion process for the construction, transportation, electricity, and recreational sectors.

Founded in 1987, Pultrall supplies a proprietary fiberglass rebar called V-Rod, which is used to fabricate structural and decorative columns and other elements of a house or building.

V-Rod combines the pultrusion process with a continuous bar coating process to achieve a roughened surface, Pultrall officials said. The bars are made with vinyl ester resin to resist corrosion – the fibres provide the stiffness properties to the bars, while the vinyl ester resin provides the corrosion resistance property for extreme use in chemical or alkaline environments.

“This ability to resist corrosion becomes particularly valuable in the Canadian context, where the use of de-icing agents and the high frequency of freeze-thaw events create ideal conditions for steel reinforcement corrosion,” Fonds officials said in a press release. “In addition to providing a solution to the degradation of our infrastructure, Pultrall offers a sustainable production process and a less energy-intensive manufacturing process.”

Pultrall plans to make several investments in equipment at the Thetford Mines plant to increase its production capacity, Fonds officials said. They added that the investment aligns with a goal of reaching $12 billion in assets related to sustainable development by 2027.

“The Fonds de solidarité FTQ is a preferred partner for Pultrall: we are pleased to be part of an important business network in the construction sector,” said Bernard Drouin, Pultrall’s general manager and owner. “This investment provides us with the necessary flexibility to continue our growth, increase our production capacity, and promote our solution to build more sustainably.”

Pultrall employs nearly 200 people, and primarily markets its products in Canada and the U.S.

The Fonds, which had net assets of $18.9 billion as of Nov. 30, supports more than 3,700 companies through venture and development capital investments based on a mission to contribute to socio-economic growth.