At the end of a rigorous selection process, the Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ) has awarded the construction management contract for the expansion of its Montreal distribution centre to the Quebec firm Frare Gallant. The contract awarded to the Laval-based firm has three service components:

  • Construction management services, including pre-project consulting;
  • Assuming responsibility for contractorship on behalf of the SAQ and coordinating with the equipment manufacturer;
  • Carrying out the construction of the expansion.

“The choice of Frare Gallant is another important step in this major project to transform our supply chain,” said Luc Bourdeau, Vice-President, Supply Chain, at the SAQ. “Frare Galant’s expertise in managing the construction of distribution centres as well as in automatization make the firm the ideal partner for realizing our project and turning our vision for the SAQ’s future into reality.”

For his part, Frare Gallant president John Frare said: “We are honoured that the SAQ ended up choosing our team of professionals specialized in design and construction management in the industrial, agri-food and logistics fields. We are convinced the expertise we have acquired over 45 years will be a contributing factor to the success of this important project for the SAQ.”
Construction work to begin by year-end

The excavation work for the Montreal automated centre (CAM), a significant pillar the SAQ will rely on in the future, is slated to begin by the end of 2023. The project is the largest infrastructure investment the SAQ has made in more than 20 years. It will allow the government corporation to meet its customers’ expectations for years to come.

Benefits of the project
By modernizing its facilities, the SAQ will be able to increase the offer of products available on SAQ.COM and to permit holders to more than 20,000 products, including private imports by the bottle. It will also improve warehouse execution times and increase the SAQ’s efficiency, most notably by incorporating automated single-order pick/pack equipment and by offering next-day delivery of online orders.

Construction of the 192,000-square-foot building includes several sustainable development components, including a 110,000-square-foot green roof, a vertical garden and an electric heating system. Commissioning of the CAM is planned for 2027.

“In short, this project will support the planned growth for all the SAQ’s customer segments and will also enable us to be better preforming, to the benefit of all Quebecers,” concluded Mr. Bourdeau.