Composite rebar maker Pultrall gets ‘significant investment' for growth | Plastics News

Pultrall Inc., a Canadian producer of composite-reinforced concrete, has its first external investor.

Fonds de solidarite FTQ, a development capital fund that invests for social impact as well as financial gain, is now a minority shareholder in the Thetford Mines, Quebec-based company.

The amount of the investment wasn't disclosed in a Fonds news release announcing "a significant investment in the sustainable construction sector."

Since 1987, Pultrall has been serving the construction, transportation and other markets with products like its proprietary fiberglass rebar called V-Rod, which is used to fabricate structural and decorative columns and other elements of a house or building.

The composite rebar is manufactured with the pultrusion process combined with an in-line coating process for an outside, sanded surface that can be easily painted.

The company says the resulting products are four times lighter than steel and three times stronger than steel but can be permeated by radio and cellular waves.

Pultrall's rebar gets strength from the glass fibers and corrosion resistance against harsh environments from the vinyl ester resin.

The V-rod line also has a product that combines carbon and vinyl ester for structures that require more stiffness and enhanced mechanical properties.

Corrosion resistance is an important attribute in Canada, where the use of de-icing agents and the frequency of freeze-thaw weather events contribute to steel reinforcement corrosion.

V-rod rebar has been a successful product line that has seen sales double since 2005, the Pultrall website says.

In addition to providing a solution for infrastructure degradation, the Fonds release says Pultrall offers a less energy-intensive manufacturing process.

With the investment, Pultrall will focus on equipment to increase its production capacity at the Thetford Mines plant, according to Pultrall owner and General Manager Bernard Drouin.

"This investment provides us with the necessary flexibility to continue our growth, increase our production capacity, and promote our solution to build more sustainably," Drouin said in the news release.

Pultrall's growth plan was taken into account by Fonds' officials, who say the investment aligns with a goal of reaching $12 billion in assets related to sustainable development by 2027.

The company, which has about 200 employees, also produces trim, panels and luggage racks for the automotive market; conductor brackets and insulators for the electrical market; hospital furniture and dental instruments for the medical market; and posts and stakes for the agricultural market.

"We are very proud to become a partner of Pultrall, a manufacturing company that is a model of innovation in the sustainable construction sector, in addition to being a leading player in its community. The Fonds continues its commitment to sustainable development through supporting Pultrall's expertise and innovative methods that stand out in the sector," said Julie Morand, vice president of private equity and impact investment.

The Fonds, which had net assets of $18.9 billion as of Nov. 30, supports more than 3,700 companies through venture and development capital investments based on a mission to contribute to socio-economic growth.

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