21 June 2013

PRESS RELEASE – Dettson Industries inc., a designer and manufacturer of heating equipment, is proud to announce the launch of two innovative high energy efficient products: the Chinook gas furnace and the Hydra Revolution electric boiler. The announcement was made before the Mayor of Sherbrooke, Bernard Sévigny, and a number of key customers. The introduction of these innovations represents an important technological turning point in the history of this local company that, in recent years, has dedicated itself to meeting the realities of a market increasingly focused on sustainable development.

With its new line of environmentally friendly products, Dettson, a mainstay in the Quebec heating industry since its founding in Sherbrooke in 1952, becomes the only Canadian manufacturer and designer of gas furnaces.

Since embracing this major technological shift in 2011, pursuant to its acquisition by the Ouellet Group, Dettson has invested over a million dollars in R&D, equipment and human resources. It also consolidated the 150 existing jobs to its head office on Industrial Boulevard.

“Two years ago, we embarked on a much-needed and important shift in our product line in order to align ourselves with new market trends as regards space considerations, energy efficiency, control accuracy and the environmental footprint,” said Martin Beaulieu, President and CEO of Ouellet Canada Inc. He continued by stating that “the process required the energy and efforts of the entire Dettson team and it is, therefore, with extreme pride that we unveil these innovations today. They will allow the company to gain a fresh momentum and position us as a leader in the North American gas heating sector.”

To successfully bring about the technological shift and offer high energy efficient products, Dettson invested heavily, particularly in R&D. “Our association with our invaluable research partners enabled us to tap and develop our in-house talent pool,” emphasized Marc Chénier, General Manager of Dettson Industries inc. “The Natural Gas Technologies Centre (NGTC) assisted us with the development of our combustion system. The collaborative effort on the heat exchanger with Laval University enabled us to shave off 12 to 24 months of development time. Finally, Gaz Métro was instrumental in guiding us on identifying the as-yet unmet needs of the residential market.”

According to Chloé Legris, Director, Business Development, Cleantech, one of the key sectors of Sherbrooke Innopole, Dettson is a prime example of a success story. “The green economy is flourishing globally and clean technologies are becoming an undeniable reality with which traditional industries must come to terms. Dettson, in collaboration with various research centres, has been able to take advantage of innovation to successfully ride the technology wave.”

In July 2013, Dettson will start marketing the Hydra Revolution family of electric heaters (heat capacity 15-20 KW and 24-29 KW) for hydronic heating systems with integrated dual-energy control. Measuring only 2980 cubic inches, it is the smallest such unit on the North American market. Its electronic control system, entirely devised by Dettson, makes for extreme ease of use and installation.

The Chinook forced-air central heating system units will be introduced in phases starting in August 2013. Output will range from 15,000 to 120, 000 BTU/hour. Remarkable in its sleek design, it is the most compact heating unit available in North America. Moreover, Dettson will be the only manufacturer of furnaces that generate 15,000 and 30,000 BTU/hour, high-demand units in the single- and multi-family home sector both in Canada and the United States.

Dettson products are available through nearly 200 distributors in Canada. The company is also expanding into the United States via two representation agreements covering the eastern seaboard. The Sherbrooke-based company plans to continue on the ‘green’ path by emphasizing its innovation culture, flexibility and adeptness and astuteness to adapt technological solutions to the needs of its customers and distributors.