Winning by Caring About the Environment

This text is taken and rewritten from the original article by LA PRESSE

Our manufacturing company, Gould Industries, which has been established for 68 years, has just secured a contract to supply Metro stores with private-label Selection brand garbage, recycling, and compost bags.

Our Montreal-made products have outperformed those of Glad, the leading brand in this segment, based on quality, price, and environmental features.

Marie-France Gibson, Vice President of Private Brands at Metro, and Frederico Panetta, CEO of Gould Industries

The contract represents a volume of 4.5 million kilograms of plastic bags per year, all manufactured at our plant in Anjou, in the northeast of Montreal. Gould Industries has been a longtime supplier for Jean Coutu, selling 455,000 kg of plastic bags annually. In 2018, when Jean Coutu was acquired by Metro, the contract was up for renewal in 2020, prompting Metro to launch a new call for tenders.

"After the acquisition, we analyzed the best offerings from both companies. Regarding household products, including plastic bags, Jean Coutu had excellent products," explains Marie-France Gibson, Vice President of Private Brands at Metro, during a visit to Gould Industries.

"We launched a call for tenders, inviting Metro's supplier, Jean Coutu’s supplier, and other industry players from the U.S. Gould was the best."

Exclusive Supplier for Metro’s Private-Label Bags

For the past six months, Gould Industries has been the exclusive supplier of Metro’s private-label bags across 21 different products. These are now available in 950 grocery stores and 650 pharmacies under the Metro, Super C, Food Basics, Jean Coutu, Brunet, Metro Pharmacy, and Food Basics Pharmacy banners.

To meet this growing demand, our workforce has expanded to 88 employees, operating three shifts, 363 days a year.

Expansion and Investments

This new contract has prompted our fourth expansion in six years.

• A new production line has been added.

• A 1,440 m² (15,500 ft²) expansion is planned for the summer.

• Total investments at the Anjou facility will exceed $4 million.

• A potential acquisition in Ontario is in the works to better serve Metro stores in the neighboring province, representing a $30 million investment.

Our financial partner in this growth is Royal Bank of Canada (RBC).