How did an SME like Meloche Group manage to achieve a prominent position among the large players in aeronautics? The answer to this question does appear to revolve around a few key words: change, innovation, high technology and partnerships.
Change
Meloche Group is a company founded by Réjean Meloche in Valleyfield in 1974. Back then, Meloche Machine Shop was a maker of industrial and telecommunications parts. Faced with the economic recession in 2008, the company chose to change directions in order to take on new impetus. Thus, further to a strategic thinking exercise, it decided in 2005 to turn towards the ever-growing aeronautics markets. Today, Meloche Group is a thriving business with roughly 150 employees across four production sites near Montréal. It specializes in designing and manufacturing machined parts intended mainly for the aeronautics industry such as airplane fuselage, wing and engine components. Supported by its ISO 9001, AS9100 and NADCAP certifications, it has an excellent reputation among its 20 or so regular clients, which include multinationals like Bombardier, Airbus (Aerolia), Zodiac Aerospace, GE Aviation, Pratt & Whitney and SAFRAN.
Innovation
The slogan for Meloche Group’s new brand image, “Making Innovation Fly”, clearly shows the importance the firm places on innovation and helps strengthen the position it holds in the Quebec, Canadian and international markets. To keep growing in this highly competitive sector, it has to implement innovative projects to be able to meet its customers’ demands.
“In a global market where the pressure on prices is increasingly severe, we must constantly invest in productivity to lower our costs and increase our competitiveness” [translation], says Mr. Hugue Meloche, President and CEO, and son of the founder.
High technology
At Meloche Group, innovation has unquestionably opened the door to high technology. As a result, acquiring automated production equipment and state-of-the-art computer equipment proved necessary to achieve the company’s strategic objectives.
Partnerships
However, investing in new state-of-the-art equipment required an investment of several million dollars and resorting to financial partnerships. As such, CED, through one of its business assistance programs, helped Meloche Group in 2013 acquire the technological equipment that the company needed.
Meloche Group became one of the first Canadian custom-manufacturing companies to have this type of equipment. This strategic decision, combined with the expertise and ambition of its leaders, enables it to hold a premium position today as a supplier to key businesses in the aeronautics sector.
Article taken from the website Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, for more information click here.
