Top European Internet hoster chooses Beauharnois for its North American expansion

BEAUHARNOIS, QC, Jan. 26, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - The City of Beauharnois, Montréal International and the Centre local de développement (CLD) Beauharnois-Salaberry are very pleased to welcome a brand new company into the Beauharnois industrial area.

This spring, the largest Internet hoster in Europe, OVH.com, will be inaugurating a centre of excellence dedicated to the development of technologies and hosting services, housing some 360,000 servers. By doing so, OVH.com will acquire the industrial assets which Rio Tinto Alcan transferred over to the City of Beauharnois, and it will also be establishing an administrative office in downtown Montréal. Having already gained recognition for its hydroelectric plant, Beauharnois is now an integral part of the Information and Communications Technology cluster in the Greater Montréal region.

"This new operation in Beauharnois opens the door to the North American market and fits in perfectly with our business development plan," said Henryk Klaba, President of OVH.com. "I would like to sincerely thank the City of Beauharnois, the CLD and Montréal International for giving us the enthusiastic support in bringing this large-scale project to fruition."

"This is unquestionably a great day for the City of Beauharnois and the region. Today, we are beginning with an optimistic new chapter in our economic development. This substantial investment by OVH.com develops our industrial potential and our strategic geographic positioning," said Mayor Claude Haineault.

Both economic organizations directly involved in the implementation process, Montréal International and CLD Beauharnois-Salaberry, also claim to be pleased with the process.

"Today, we are first and foremost celebrating a successful partnership,"declared the President and CEO of Montréal International, Jacques St-Laurent. "The cooperation between the City of Beauharnois, CLD Beauharnois-Salaberry and Montréal International is worthy of mention and has made it possible to offer winning conditions to OVH.com," he added. "We have achieved the objective of combining the economic development vision of Mayor Haineault with the entrepreneurial spirit of the Klaba family. In addition to providing hosting services, OVH.com will be doing R&D and assembling servers ranking up there with the top performers in the industry," said St-Laurent.

"This shows once again that the Beauharnois-Salaberry territory has all of the assets required to attract manufacturers and contract givers of international renown. Each day, we can count on a business sector that cooperates, mobilizes and is willing to pull out all stops to put together projects that create jobs. I am thrilled when economic partners such as Montréal International and the CLD firmly get on board, share resources and expertise and are imaginative and creative to welcome new entrepreneurs that not only promote our territory but all of Québec," said the President of CLD Beauharnois-Salaberry and the mayor of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Denis Lapointe.

In conclusion, Mayor Haineault added that "I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Klaba family for the confidence they showed throughout the discussions. I would also like to underscore the considerable contribution by Montréal International and CLD Beauharnois-Salaberry to bring this large-scale project to fruition. This proves that cooperation is our best ally. We can go faster alone but we can go further together!"

About Beauharnois ● www.ville.beauharnois.qc.ca
Beauharnois is part of the Beauharnois-Salaberry RCM in Montérégie located about 30km south-west of Montréal. The City has a population of 12,200 and is proposing an industrial area rich in investments. The area covers 36.87 ha and can be developed for various purposes, particularly in the following fields: chemistry, metallurgy, transport/logistics and technological development. In addition, all essential services are offered to investors: natural gas, electricity, alternative sources of energy, fibre optics, railways, industrial water, sewers and waterworks.

About Montréal International ● www.montrealinternational.com
Montréal International (MI) was created in 1996 as a result of a private/public partnership. Its mission is to contribute to the economic development of metropolitan Montréal and to enhance its international status. Its mandates include attracting foreign investment, international organizations and qualified foreign workers, as well as promoting the competitive and international environment of Greater Montréal. Montréal International is funded by the private sector, the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM - Montréal Metropolitan Community), the City of Montréal and the Governments of Canada and Québec.

About the CLD Beauharnois-Salaberry ● www.cld-beauharnois-salaberry.org
CLD Beauharnois-Salaberry is dedicated to the socioeconomic development of the Beauharnois-Salaberry RCM with a view to increasing the region's collective wealth. The organization's mission is to create, sustain and promote a climate that is conducive to such development, to stimulate entrepreneurship, and to provide the necessary means and services to new investors and project initiators, including social economy businesses.

Image with caption: "OVH.com at Beauharnois. From left to right: Denis Lapointe, President of CLD Beauharnois-Salaberry and Mayor of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield; Jacques St-Laurent, President and CEO of Montréal International; Octave Klaba, General Manager of OVH.com; Henrik Klaba, President of OVH.com; Claude Haineault, Mayor of Beauharnois. (CNW Group/MONTREAL INTERNATIONAL)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20120126_C6976_PHOTO_EN_9285.jpg