A3 Surfaces Opens its Plant with Félix Auger-Aliassime, its Official Ambassador
Félix Auger-Aliassime, official ambassador of A3 Surfaces and the world’s 11th top tennis player, and Emmanuel Bergeron, Director, Regional Economic Development at Rio Tinto.
A3 Surfaces, which Rio Tinto has partnered with since its inception through Regional Economic Development, has taken an important step towards international marketing with the opening of its first plant on 17 September. The new plant, which is in Saguenay’s Parc industriel du Haut-Saguenay and is renowned for its antimicrobial anodised aluminium technology, was inaugurated with Félix Auger-Aliassime, A3 Surfaces’ official ambassador and the world’s 11th top tennis player.
Rio Tinto has invested nearly $280,000 over the past five years to support A3 Surfaces, in addition to providing technical and research and development support. The two companies have just renewed their memorandum of understanding for three years, during which time Rio Tinto will make an additional financial contribution of $250,000. These investments will help expedite the marketing of UmanProtek technology, which eliminates the risk of transmitting bacterial and viral diseases through its biocidal treatment of electrolytically anodised aluminium.
“The revolutionary technology that A3 Surfaces has developed is helping to show aluminium’s exceptional properties and versatility, giving it remarkable added value,” said Emmanuel Bergeron, Director, Regional Economic Development.
Rio Tinto is committed to actively participating in economic diversification by encouraging and supporting the development of innovative businesses in the communities in which it operates. The collaboration with A3 Surfaces reflects this philosophy, as it is a good example of how sharing knowledge and expertise, combined with financial support, can have an impact.
“A3 Surfaces and its team were pioneers in creating antimicrobial anodised aluminium and are now key players in the fight against bacteria and viruses,” Bergeron
said. “There is much to be proud of, especially since this unique technological innovation was invented right here in Saguenay.”
Pictured: Maxime Dumont, Process Expert at A3 Surfaces; Lucie Lecours, Minister for the Economy; Félix Auger-Aliassime, official ambassador of A3 Surfaces and the world’s 11th top tennis player; Andrée Laforest, Minister Responsible for the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean Region;and Jocelyn Lambert, Supply Chain Supervisor at A3 Surfaces.
