Montréal, February 22, 2024 – “This strategic partnership with Norea Capital will provide the resources needed to accelerate technological innovation and growth, particularly in Europe, while consolidating Versacom’s ownership among the executive team following the retirement of founder Benoît Le Blanc. As our newest shareholder, Norea Capital will also support us in implementing a governance structure with significant added value,” said Versacom president and general manager François Chartrand of Norea Capital becoming a minority shareholder of the company.
Versacom is one of Canada’s top three professional translation firms and the largest Canadian‑owned language services provider. With the support of Norea Capital, the company has set its sights on becoming the country’s number one provider of language services and solutions in the next few years.
“Today, I would like to thank our founder, Benoît Le Blanc, who is a visionary and a thoughtful and inspirational entrepreneur,” said Chartrand. “He has passed down a culture of excellence and discipline in managing our professional services and developing language solutions backed by state-of-the-art technology. It’s this solid foundation that will allow us to continue to grow in an ever‑changing global market.”
With 300 employees and a pool of hundreds of collaborators around the world, Versacom boasts a team of language professionals and dedicated project managers who specialize in a wide range of fields and regions. Be it Montréal or Tunis, Mexico City or Madrid, New York or Sydney, Beijing or Vancouver, every market has its own unique audience, culture and dialect. Versacom’s experts create a meaningful connection with local markets everywhere.
Versacom at a glance:
- Over 3,000 clients of all sizes in more than 25 countries, including a number of Canadian and multinational organizations in banking, finance, insurance, transportation, telecommunications and life sciences
- Trusted partner of 8 of Canada’s 10 most profitable corporations
- Services offered in 185 languages
- One of the only service providers to meet the strictest information security requirements and hold the certifications required by government bodies
Growing Versacom’s footprint in Europe and beyond
When the time came for Benoît Le Blanc to pass the torch, Versacom’s founder was thrilled that Norea Capital would be providing the support needed to expand the business, in Europe especially. “After receiving several proposals, we chose this mid-market specialist as our partner, as the group clearly demonstrated that they believe in the values that make Versacom exceptional and recognize the unique strengths of Versacom’s professionals and leadership team. Their contribution to the company’s governance will drive sustained, strategic growth, making sure its future is bright,” said Le Blanc.
For Luc Ménard, President and Managing Partner of Norea Capital, “It was Versacom’s solid executive team and corporate culture, which is firmly rooted in quality and innovation, that convinced us to partner with the company. With its carefully implemented succession plan and clearly defined growth strategy, Versacom is exactly the kind of SME that Norea Capital would like to help take to new heights.”
About Versacom
Founded in 1995 by Benoît Le Blanc, Versacom is a world-class enterprise and the largest Canadian‑owned multilingual translation agency. With its head office in Montréal and a business office in Vancouver, it offers industry-leading expertise through its nearly 300 employees and hundreds of collaborators around the world, who deliver turnkey professional and technological solutions tailored to the needs of public- and private-sector organizations. Versacom holds several ISO certifications, upholds the strictest information security standards, and is one of the only industry players to meet the standards of government bodies. In addition to professional translation and localization, Versacom offers customized, AI-enhanced solutions. For more information, visit www.versacom.ca/en
About Norea Capital
With over $550 million in assets under management, Norea Capital is an independent private equity manager that was formed from the former National Bank Private Investment team and works with Canadian mid‑market businesses. As a strategic partner squarely focused on ESG issues, it supports privately held SMEs in their growth plans, mergers and acquisitions, and business transfers, as well as in implementing governance structures with significant added value. Most notably, Norea Capital partners with major business-owning families in Montréal that operate in Canada and around the world who can share their substantial expertise for the benefit of local entrepreneurs. To learn more, visit www.noreacapital.ca
