At our five plants across Canada (including Normec Industries and Manic Industriels), we are preparing to enter the new year with our heads held high, fuelled by the strength of our recent improvements. In recent years, we have taken on major challenges to adapt our infrastructure to highly ambitious projects and meet the needs of our core industries: mining, energy, aluminum, and shipbuilding.
Infrastructure to match our ambitions
Since 2019, each year has brought new advances: the purchase of the Sept-Îles plant, the creation of the Baie-Comeau site, and the expansion of the Saguenay site and more recently the Portneuf site, which has a sandblasting chamber planned for 2024–2025. This growth has given us a total surface area of 150,000 square feet, an annual capacity of 800,000 person-hours, and a lifting capacity of 100 tons. While these numbers are impressive, they wouldn’t be possible without our teams. They make all the difference, turning each project into a success and allowing us to be visionary.
Turning to innovation
To stay ahead of the game, we have adopted cutting-edge technologies that are transforming our processes and the way we work. The installation of the robotic cell in Saguenay in 2024 is a concrete example of our commitment to remaining competitive while improving working conditions for our teams during pot shell repairs. It marked a major step in the company’s growth.
Taking on challenges
Our ability to innovate and pivot has allowed us to successfully complete complex projects at different sites, such as the manufacture of the rail car unloader in 2021–2022, involving our Portneuf, Sept-Îles, and Saguenay plants. We built on this momentum in 2024–2025 by contributing to a large-scale project in the battery industry. Thanks to the synergy between our plants, we have achieved a level of quality and efficiency that means we never shy away from any challenge for our customers.
As we head into 2025, we can look back positively on the last few years and the ways in which we have grown, innovated, and improved our infrastructures to better meet our customers’ needs. Automating our processes will be one of our priorities in the new year, as we introduce the Kinetic ERP project. With projects like this, we go beyond physical expansion, focusing on innovations that boost our productivity and create a workplace where employees can feel fulfilled.
Do you have large-scale projects in mind? Let’s work together to make them a reality.
The Alunov robotic cell in Saguenay
For over 30 years, Charl-Pol has distinguished itself in the naval industry for its mechanically welded parts manufacturing, strategic support, and active presence at various levels. With plants in Saguenay, Portneuf, and Kitimat, the company plays a key role in the development of Quebec’s naval industry. Charl-Pol aims to devise innovative solutions that create value for its customers.
A successful launch
Charl-Pol got off to a great start in the industry with its first project, Chantier Davie, which marked the beginning of a trusting partnership that now spans decades. As a major supplier to the shipyard, Charl-Pol and its president Richard Tremblay helped found the Association des fournisseurs de Chantier Davie Canada in 2018, which recently became Naval Québec. Since Gabriel Tremblay took the helm of Charl-Pol as Interim Chief Operating Officer, Richard has devoted much of his time to the association. With his efforts there, he is continuing to fulfill his dream of serving and supporting the industry. This initiative demonstrates the company’s commitment to the development of the naval industry and its socio-economic environment.
Smooth sailing in rough waters
The Saguenay-based company is proactive in the naval industry, driven by a constant desire to innovate and embark on new projects. Charl-Pol’s experience with the Cecon program in particular showed its ability to take on major logistical and technical challenges. The program team produced and delivered a number of naval modules with dimensions so large that parts of the walls of the plant had to be dismantled to get them out. The modules also demonstrated the sheer scale of projects Charl-Pol can handle. Despite the enormity of the task, the manufacturer was able to accomplish it successfully. Charl-Pol’s experience and ability to meet challenges head on continue to benefit its customers in the naval sector, as well as those in other industries.
Transatlantic partnerships
Charl-Pol recently took part in a trade mission to Finland. The company’s representatives were able to visit shipyards in Helsinki and Turku and establish strategic partnerships with Finnish companies. The interactions gave Charl-Pol insight into the Finnish naval industry’s best practices and how to implement them in Quebec, reinforcing its position in the sector.
Charl-Pol continues to be visionary and strengthen its presence in the naval industry. By focusing on strategic partnerships and innovation, the company is positioning itself as a key player, ready to meet the challenges of tomorrow and sail with Quebec’s naval industry into a promising future.
Over the years, Charl-Pol has established itself as an expert in four well-defined business sectors. Today, we have an opportunity to diversify our activities thanks to orders from the battery industry. Our team has stood out in a number of calls for tenders, winning contracts to manufacture hoppers, silos, and tanks for the major projects recently announced for the industry that is emerging in Bécancour.
Most of these contracts will be carried out at our Portneuf plant, not far from the Bécancour industrial park. Our proximity makes us a key player in supporting these large-scale projects.
What is the battery industry?
The battery industry is growing at a remarkable rate in Quebec. As a matter of fact, our province is set to become a leader in the field once the local value chain is in place, from ore extraction to battery cell assembly.
The industry will supply the batteries that the North American market needs for a successful energy transition. Investments totalling nearly $15 billion have been announced for the development of this industry in Quebec.
Quebec, a key player in the battery industry
The number of companies involved in the battery industry is growing in Quebec, which paves the way for countless opportunities. The province is positioning itself as a key player equipped with the necessary resources to cover all links in the supply chain.
Our land holds the reserves of lithium and other minerals needed to manufacture batteries, and a number of pioneering spodumene processing plants have already emerged in strategic areas of the province.
Concentrating the links of the battery supply chain locally creates an ecosystem conducive to reducing the environmental footprint of the energy transition. By having all the production stages close by, we can reduce costs and GHG emissions associated with transporting resources.
Our leadership isn’t limited by our borders, either—it extends internationally, consolidating our position in energy innovation. This forward-looking orientation is deeply rooted in sustainable development.
Strategic diversification
We’re looking forward to taking our team and the company to new heights as we take part in electrifying transport for a more sustainable future.
Positioning ourselves in the battery industry represents a major strategic turning point in a context where lithium is booming. The growing demand for suppliers to meet market needs offers a unique opportunity, and few companies have yet taken the initiative to position themselves in this niche. We intend to play a part in this change, and can’t wait to rise to the challenges of Quebec’s energy transition. Once again, the expansive skill set developed by our teams and the experience we’ve acquired through our 103 years of existence will enable us to carry out these large-scale projects and make them a success for our customers.
Since it was founded a century ago, Charl-Pol has become one of Canada’s leading players in heavy industrial equipment. This success story was made possible by our teams, and particularly our senior employees, the guardians of our history and our expertise.
A family business
Charl-Pol is a large, diverse, and loyal family. Our senior employees play a major part in our success. Their loyalty and commitment are the driving force behind the company’s incredible internal dynamics. They’re an inexhaustible source of knowledge, sage advice… and more than a few juicy stories.
“Our senior employees form a solid work team. They’re happy guys who get along really well.”
— Mireille Bourque, Labour Relations Advisor at the Portneuf plant
The wealth of our senior employees
Our senior employees are more than just team members. They’re mentors and role models. Year after year, they’ve built up their confidence and become founts of wisdom for newcomers and seasoned employees alike as they share their knowledge and experience.
They’ve been with Charl-Pol through many of its ups and downs: the opening of the Portneuf plant in 1992 and its expansion in 2002, the first expansion in Saguenay in 1989 and the second in 1995, the opening of Innovation in 2002 and its closure in 2017, the purchase of the Sept-Îles plant in 2019 and the Baie-Comeau plant in 2020, and much more. To this day, they’re continuing to write the company’s story with their ongoing and upcoming projects. This wealth of experience is a key part of our company’s culture.
With their pride in their work and the products we deliver, they inspire excellence and help build the solid reputation of our services (and Charl-Pol as a whole) by sharing our company culture.
Recognition worthy of your hard work
At Charl-Pol, we believe in the value of seniority. Our recognition program recognizes each 5-year increment, starting with 10 years of service. Seniority anniversaries are celebrated at in-house events and marked with a gift card and a letter of thanks.
Our senior employees are the backbone of our success as a team, so it’s important to repay them for their invaluable contributions.
We also encourage internal career development, promoting professional advancement within the company.
“My career at Charl-Pol has grown a lot. I started as a welder, and now I’m supervising a team. I love sharing my knowledge and my 30 years of experience with them.”
— Julien Bélanger, welder-fitter with Charl-Pol since December 1991
Pascal Frenette, who has worked at the Portneuf plant since 2001, has seen a lot of growth over the past several years. Pascal arrived at Charl-Pol with rudimentary welding skills. Thanks to job shadowing, in-house training, and other opportunities within the company, he now boasts an impressive skill set.
Of course, we can’t talk about seniority without also talking about retirement. We mark this important milestone in a person’s life with a meaningful parting gift, as a reminder of the wonderful journey we’ve shared and a wish for a fulfilling retirement.
Become part of our team
If you’re looking to embrace change and take on new challenges, join our team. Take a look at our career opportunities. Who knows, you might just become the next member of our senior team!
New at Charl-Pol
Through more than 100 years of operations, we’ve learned that the key to success is innovation! In line with that, we’re proud to announce two future-oriented projects that will be rolled out over the next few years at our facilities. By bringing on new technologies, we’ll be able to keep up with the increasing demand from the naval and mining industries, as well as the energy and aluminum smelting sectors.
With our partners’ growth, such as the Chantier Davie being included in the National Shipbuilding Strategy and the upcoming investments announced for Rio Tinto’s Arvida smelter, we want to be recognized internationally as a competitive manufacturer of mechanically welded parts.
As we grapple with growing demand for our services and a shortage of skilled labour, we believe that integrating new technologies into our daily workflows is a well-founded solution for improving our production capacity and operational efficiency.
Making way for robotization!
Our La Baie production plant, in the Saguenay region, will be the first to benefit from our robotization project with the arrival of a robotic cell in June 2024. The new tool will be 11 m wide, 5 m high, and 26 m long. On top of making it easier to weld in hard-to-reach places, the robotic arm will be equipped with extraction nozzles that filter fumes and extract purified air. The device will also feature a detection system, ensuring a safe, low-risk environment.
We strongly believe that robotic welding is a promising solution due to its many advantages, such as speed, flexibility, versatility, custom welding, data collection, and increased productivity, not to mention consistent welding quality!
Improving productivity with ERP software
Our second innovation is the integration of an ERP (enterprise resource planning) software package, which will allow us to manage our company more efficiently. By bringing together data from all of Charl-Pol’s departments, the ERP will help us improve management across the board—from human resources, finance, sales, and distribution to procurement and planning!
The project will evolve and grow gradually over three phases between March and November 2024. Centralizing our information system into a single database will allow us to enhance coordination between our departments while avoiding superfluous information and possible data entry errors.
In addition to improving interdepartmental communication, the ERP’s data structure will also help us keep our customers happy, since it will give us better control over our inventory and order process.
Technology at our team’s fingertips
With these projects, we’re looking to constantly improve our employees’ day-to-day lives, because people have always been—and always will be—at the heart of Charl-Pol’s values!
Our team will greatly benefit from the new robotic welder. It’s a well-known fact that welding facilities are very physically demanding places. The support from robotization will lead to better working conditions, in addition to improving safety and ambient air quality, as previously mentioned. What’s more, lessening operators’ workloads will give them time to work on jobs that offer greater added value.
As for the ERP software, it will ensure a better flow of information between our departments, thereby preventing last-minute surprises! By automating low-value-added processes, employees will be able to devote their time to more rewarding tasks. What a great way to feel fulfilled at work!
Looking to the future
We’re very proud of the new technologies that we’ll be introducing over the next couple of years. Innovation is one of the many ways we can remain competitive while improving our processes to contribute even more to our customers’ success!