What Groupe Rémabec does

Groupe Rémabec is a privately held, founder-controlled forestry and wood-products conglomerate headquartered in La Tuque, Quebec, founded in 1988 and operating today with nearly 2,000 direct employees, more than 25 subsidiaries, and 11 plants across the Mauricie, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, and Côte-Nord regions. It is the largest private forestry company in Quebec and the province's second-largest sawmill operator, organized as an integrated forest-to-market network spanning Rébec (forest operations harvesting roughly 3 million m³/year and managing ~800 km of annual road construction), Arbec (lumber manufacturing at ~700 million board feet/year of capacity across 7 sawing, planing, and finger-joining mills), and Industries John Lewis (secondary transformation of white birch into 7-8 billion sticks per year for the global food industry, certified to SQF Level 3).

The business generates revenue from B2B sales of softwood lumber and specialty wood products to international industrial buyers, distributors, construction manufacturers, and food-grade CPG customers via a dedicated sales office in Pointe-Claire and direct relationships across Canada, the US, Europe, South America, and the Middle East. Industrial pricing is negotiated B2B and not publicly disclosed; published wage rates for manufacturing roles at subsidiaries range from roughly $28.79/h for production workers to $40-$45/h for maintenance supervisors. Capital intensity is high, with multi-million-dollar modernization programs at Parent, L'Ascension, Trois-Rivières, and across four acquired Kruger factories.

The group's forward strategy emphasizes green energy and carbon sequestration: the Bio Énergie AE Côte-Nord joint venture with Ensyn Technology targets 40 million litres/year of renewable fuel oil, and Carbonité, a joint venture with Airex and Groupe Suez, is Canada's first commercial biochar plant at 30,000 tonnes/year with a roadmap to 350,000 tonnes by 2035. Long-cycle stability is reinforced by eight-year collective agreements signed in 2017 with workers at Parent and L'Ascension, SQF Level 3, HACCP, FSC, SFI, PEFC, and ISO 14001 certifications across operations, and Indigenous workforce training partnerships with the Atikamekw community of Wemotaci.

Name

Groupe Rémabec

Legal name

Groupe Rémabec

Website

https://remabec.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Groupe Rémabec is a privately held, founder-controlled Quebec forestry conglomerate integrating forest operations, softwood lumber manufacturing, white birch stick production for the global food industry, and renewable fuel oil and biochar joint ventures.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sawmill and Forest Products Manufacturing

NAICS

Forestry and Logging (113), Timber Tract Operations (11311), Logging (1133), Sawmills (321113), Support Activities for Forestry (1153), Timber Tract Operations (113110)

SIC

Forestry (800), Sawmills & Planting Mills, General (2421), Lumber & Wood Products (No Furniture) (2400), Wholesale-Lumber, Plywood, Millwork & Wood Panels (5031), Millwood, Veneer, Plywood, & Structural Wood Members (2430)

akta.pro primary industry

Timber Tract Operations & Forest Ownership (Timberland) (IMAMAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Logging & Timber Harvesting (IMAMAAAB), Timberland Operations Planning & Contractor Management (AFAMAKAE), Forest Biomass, Fuelwood & Residue Recovery Management (AFAMAAAL), Fuelwood Processing & Firewood Packaging (Cutting, Splitting, Bundling) (AFAMAGAB)

Keywords

• Softwood lumber manufacturing
• Forest operations management
• White birch stick production
• Renewable biofuel production
• Biochar manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

La Tuque

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Lumber and Wood Product Sales: Revenue from selling softwood lumber (spruce, fir, pine) produced at 8 Arbec sawing, planing, and finger-joining mills (~700 million board feet/year) on international markets. Products include studs, random-length lumber, planed wood, and finger-joined studs sold through the company's own sales office.
2. Specialty Wood Product Manufacturing: Revenue from manufacturing white birch sticks (~7–8 billion sticks/year) for frozen treats, corn dogs, coffee stirrers, and crafts at Industries John Lewis. Sold globally to food industry customers in Canada, US, Europe, South America, and Middle East. 100% of wood input is utilized, with residual wood sold as by-products.
3. Renewable Energy (Biofuel Oil): Revenue from Bio Énergie AE Côte-Nord joint venture producing 40 million litres/year of renewable fuel oil from residual forest biomass. Expected to reduce GHG emissions by 75–90% vs. fossil fuels. Production facility at Port-Cartier, Côte-Nord region.
4. Biochar Production (Carbonité): Revenue from Carbonité, a first and only commercial biochar production plant in Canada. Joint venture between Airex, Groupe Suez, and Rémabec/Arbec, producing 30,000 tonnes/year of biochar, with each tonne sequestering 2.5 tonnes of CO2. Phase 2 planned to triple production, targeting 350,000 tonnes of biochar by 2035.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Groupe Rémabec is a vertically integrated forestry company operating across forest operations (Rébec), lumber manufacturing (Arbec's 7 sawing/planing/finger-joining mills producing ~700 million board feet/year), specialty wood products (Industries John Lewis producing 7-8 billion white birch sticks/year for the food industry), and green energy (Bio Énergie AE renewable fuel oil at 40 million litres/year and Carbonité biochar at 30,000 tonnes/year). The company harvests approximately 3 million m³ of wood annually from Quebec's public forests.

Product overview

Groupe Rémabec is an integrated forestry company organized into distinct subsidiaries operating across the wood value chain. The core structure includes Rébec (forest operations), Arbec Bois d'oeuvre (lumber manufacturing), and Industries John Lewis (secondary wood transformation). Green energy operations are served through Bio Énergie AE (renewable fuel oil) and Carbonité (biochar). The manufacturing division produces softwood lumber products (dimensional lumber, finger-jointed studs) through Arbec's eight plants, while Industries John Lewis produces white birch sticks for the food industry. The company operates 11 factories across Quebec with approximately 2,000 direct employees.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rébec: Forestry operations subsidiary managing wood harvesting and forest operations across Quebec
• Arbec, Bois d'œuvre
• Industries John Lewis
• Bio Énergie AE Côte-Nord
• Carbonité

Products and services

• Softwood Lumber Products (Arbec) Softwood lumber products manufactured at Arbec's 8 plants including dimensional lumber (1x3, 1x4, 2x3, 2x4, 2x6), random length lumber (6'-16'), finger-jointed studs, planed wood, and products under brands ARBEST, ARBSEL, ARBPLUS, ARBSTUD, PM0, and MSR grades. Annual production capacity of ~700 million board feet, sold to construction manufacturers, building materials distributors, and industrial buyers internationally.
• White Birch Sticks for Food Industry (Industries John Lewis) White birch wood sticks for the food industry produced at Industries John Lewis, including spoons (77mm, 140mm), shaped sticks (93mm), and stirrers (113mm) for frozen treats, corn dogs, coffee stirrers, and food service applications. Produces 7-8 billion sticks annually, making it the largest producer in North America. SQF Level 3 and HACCP certified.
• Renewable Fuel Oil (Bio Énergie AE Côte-Nord) Renewable fuel oil produced from residual forest biomass using fast thermal processing (RTP) technology at the Port-Cartier facility. Joint venture with Ensyn Technology Inc. and Arbec. Projected production of 40 million litres per year with 75-90% GHG emission reduction vs. fossil fuels, expected to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 70,000 tonnes per year at full capacity.
• Biochar (Carbonité) Biochar produced from residual forest biomass at Carbonité, the first and only commercial biochar production plant in Canada. Joint venture between Airex, Groupe Suez, and Rémabec/Arbec. Current production of 30,000 tonnes per year, with each tonne sequestering 2.5 tonnes of CO2. Phase 2 plans to scale production to 350,000 tonnes by 2035.
• Forest Operations Services (Rébec) Forest operations services provided by Rébec, including forestry operational planning, harvest commissions for softwood and hardwood, forest road construction and maintenance (800 km of new roads and 1,000+ km of maintenance annually), and supply assurance management with government bodies. Operates 5 forestry camps (Oriskany, Kawaie, Brooch, Lisette, Noël) and harvests approximately 3 million m³ of wood per year.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 700 million board feet of lumber produced annually across 8 sawing and processing plants
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, minor and core.

• Atikamekw Community (Wemotaci)strategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2022Workforce training partnership with Atikamekw community of Wemotaci, delivering theoretical training at Wemotaci and practical training at Arbec Parent plant. Groupe Rémabec invested $215,000 in training for approximately 10 residents of Wemotaci. Partnership addresses labour shortages while supporting Indigenous economic development. Similar programs planned for Industries John Lewis and Savco.
• Nicolas DussaultminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 March 2018Local entrepreneur in Saint-Raymond who partnered with Groupe Rémabec to establish Fabréma, a subsidiary manufacturing and distributing parts and equipment for the forestry and mechanical equipment industry. Located in Saint-Raymond industrial park.
• Ensyn Technology Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationJoint venture partner in Bio Énergie AE Côte-Nord Canada alongside Arbec and Groupe Rémabec. Ensyn provides its proprietary fast thermal processing (RTP) technology to convert residual forest biomass into renewable fuel oil at commercial scale (40 million litres/year). The technology is one of the few in the world capable of this conversion.
• AirexcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-investor with Groupe Suez in Carbonité, the first and only commercial biochar production plant in Canada. Located at Port-Cartier, Carbonité will produce 30,000 tonnes of biochar per year (with plans to reach 350,000 tonnes by 2035), sequestering 2.5 tonnes of CO2 per tonne of biochar produced. Each tonne sequesters the equivalent of 2.5 tonnes of CO2.
• Groupe SuezcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-investor with Airex in Carbonité biochar production facility. Groupe Suez is a European group specializing in water and waste management, bringing expertise in environmental technology to the joint venture. Phase 2 planned to triple biochar production to 350,000 tonnes by 2035.
• Centre de services scolaire du Pays-des-BleuetsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institution partnered with Rémabec and Wemotaci to deliver 870-hour DEP (Diplôme d'études professionnelles) in opération d'équipement de production at Arbec Parent plant as part of work-study program for Atikamekw community members.
• FormaboisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTraining organization partnered with Rémabec in the Atikamekw workforce development initiative, contributing to the theoretical and practical training of Indigenous workers at Arbec.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Interfor Corporation: One of North America's largest softwood lumber producers with operations in British Columbia and the US South. Closely comparable to Arbec's sawmilling business model and product mix, and similarly exposed to softwood lumber commodity cycles and US duties.
• Canfor Corporation: One of the largest producers of softwood lumber in North America with operations in BC and the US. Highly comparable in sawmilling scale, softwood lumber product mix, and exposure to US lumber pricing dynamics and duties.
• Kruger Inc. Major Canadian forest products company operating lumber, pulp/paper, and tissue/packaging divisions, including the Quebec forestry operations that Groupe Rémabec acquired four factories from. Directly comparable as a major Quebec forestry operator with overlapping product lines.
• Western Forest Products: Canadian softwood lumber manufacturer with integrated coastal timberlands and sawmills. Comparable in business model (timberland-to-lumber) and in exposure to the US-Canada softwood lumber dispute, though based in BC versus Quebec.
• Resolute Forest Products: Major Quebec-based integrated forestry and lumber producer operating sawmills, pulp/paper, and wood products. Directly comparable to Groupe Rémabec in geographic footprint, softwood lumber production, and exposure to the US-Canada softwood lumber trade regime.
• Stella-Jones Inc. Canadian producer of pressure-treated wood products, railway ties, and utility poles sourced from sawmills. Comparable as a Canadian secondary wood transformation company operating downstream of softwood lumber producers, including Quebec-based operations.
• Domtar Corporation: Quebec-headquartered pulp and paper manufacturer with significant softwood lumber operations and timberland holdings in Quebec. Comparable in Quebec-based forestry footprint and downstream wood products, though with greater pulp/paper emphasis.

Emerging players

• Ensyn Technology Inc. Technology provider of fast thermal processing (RTP) for converting biomass to renewable fuel oil, and JV partner of Groupe Rémabec in Bio Énergie AE. Comparable in the renewable fuel oil / biomass-to-liquid value chain and as a direct commercial partner.
• Airex Industries: Quebec-based industrial firm and JV partner in Carbonité, Canada's first commercial biochar plant with Groupe Rémabec/Arbec. Comparable in the biochar and carbon-sequestration value chain as a direct strategic partner.

Others

• FPInnovations: Canada's largest forest products research institute, supporting innovation in lumber, pulp/paper, bioenergy, and wood products. Comparable as a forestry-focused R&D and standards body relevant to FSC/SFI certification and bioenergy development.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Groupe Rémabec