Valeant wins on all fronts

And, since a special event never comes alone, it was accompanied by a small shockwave which shook the business community. Guy Hébert, president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Saint-Laurent announced publicly that he will not seek a fourth mandate (read our interview in a previous issue). Hébert attended the very first Alpha Gala 25 years ago.

An anniversary and a new beginning. That did cause a stir for the evening. Mayor Alan DeSousa and Denis Dubreuil of the Desjardins group co-chaired the special event.

An undesirable guest was implicated over the last months within the framework of the contest: the economic crisis. That added flavour to the competition and raised the merit accorded to the nominees and the winners. The 25th edition saw close races but one company however came out ahead.

And waiting was certainly long until the announcement of the special grand prize of the evening that recognized the company of the year. In 2008, Canadian Electronic Powders Corporation earned that distinction. This year, Valeant Canada was recognized with the prestigious merit. The pharmaceutical company is indeed an excellent example, with its significant investments and its business having doubled between 2003 and 2008. Better yet, it knew how to navigate through the economic crisis. The number of production units having gone from 34 to four with that of Saint-Laurent still in operation in North America.