15 April 2016

PRESS RELEASE – Antoine Larkin-Turgeon, a 33-year-old engineer with a strong sense of entrepreneurship, recently launched his company, Usinage ALT – the name is based on his initials. Located at 817 Longpré Street in Sherbrooke, the shop offers digital CNC machining and computer-aided design (CAD) services.

With more than six years of experience in the manufacturing sector as product development project manager, Antoine Larkin-Turgeon was keen to take on the entrepreneurship challenge: “The concept of going into business for myself had appealed to me for a long time! While gaining experience in other private companies, I saw a window of opportunity for digital machining subcontractors, particularly for machining combined with CAD, forward-looking technology that is not commonly used in Québec workshops. After having tried in vain to take over a machine shop, I decided to start my own company,” explained the Université de Sherbrooke graduate, who has been involved in competitive downhill skiing in the Estrie region for several years.

For his start-up project, the young manager was able to rely on Sherbrooke Innopole for support, help in finding a site, and financial assistance through the latter’s New Entrepreneur Fund. Mr. Larkin-Turgeon has also benefited from the region’s Prêt à entreprendre (Ready to Become an Entrepreneur) program, managed by the Chambre de commerce de Sherbrooke (Chamber of Commerce), and just won a local award in the OSEntreprendre Challenge, in the Business Operation, Processing, Production category.

“Metal processing is, and has always been, a flagship sector in Sherbrooke’s manufacturing industry, accounting for over 18% of industrial jobs. In the region, there are a number of contractors, many of whom subcontract the manufacture of machined parts,” stated Nathalie Prince, Director, Business Development – Advanced Manufacturing at Sherbrooke Innopole. “Mr. Larkin-Turgeon is from the wired generation, who are competent and at ease using digital technologies to optimize production, and this will definitely provide Usinage ALT with excellent added value. It is always great to see Sherbrooke’s talented individuals go into business with a desire to innovate and make a name for themselves. Sherbrooke Innopole is proud to support this young entrepreneur.”

Usinage ALT focuses primarily on the manufacture of individual parts and small series, a cluster in which it plans to garner a reputation for the quality and precision of its products, its competitive prices, and its quick and reliable delivery timelines throughout Québec. In addition, the young company offers services for the design and manufacture of moulds and other specialized welding and mechanical assembly tools. It now has clients in Sherbrooke, Montréal, and Drummondville, among other locations.

Usinage ALT’s start-up required more than $310 000 in investments, mostly for the acquisition of equipment and specialized software. Of note, the company has a 4-axis vertical machining centre equipped with the most advanced milling machine technology. The company foresees creating three full-time jobs over the next two years.

Sources: Sherbrooke Innopole and Usinage ALT