Upon closer look, Groupe Webaction appears to be in the league of any other company in its field you would see in any major Canadian city. And that’s indeed the case! The only difference is that the company is being managed from offices situated on the shores of the magnificent Lac Cayamant in the heart of the Gatineau Valley.
Owners Antoni Gendron and Sheila Fournier were charmed by the tranquility and beauty of the lakes in the region, and especially by its slower lifestyle. “I’m originally from Abitibi, and I studied at the Cégep de l’Outaouais before I went to work for them in Gatineau, said Gendron. We bought a cottage on Lac Cayamant in 2013. My son liked living in the Valley more, and when we decided to go into business full time, the logical thing to do was to make the move to Lac Cayamant.
Barely 12% of a potential 1,000 companies had a website
An office and a studio were fitted up in September 2017, and the company enjoyed success right off the bat. “Our market study clearly showed that our services in the Valley would have great potential. Barely 12% of a potential 1,000 companies had a website. Today, we’re serving 29%.
The couple got involved in the Maniwaki Chamber of Commerce to become more firmly rooted into the business community. “The human aspect is what I like about this area. Of course, I fell in love with the lakes that are gems in themselves, but the human aspect and proximity are incredible. People are far warmer than in town, and there’s a sense of community mindedness and solidarity all their own,” said Gendron.
SUCCESSFUL RIGHT OFF THE BAT
Groupe Webaction has a seven-person multidisciplinary team
Groupe Webaction has a seven-person multidisciplinary team offering services in the area of web application development, Internet sites, logo and brand imaging, mobile apps, audio and video production, social media management and Google Ad campaigns and SEO management. Over time, it has become a creative agency that grew quickly during the pandemic and has contributed to the success of several Gatineau Valley businesses.
“We’ve managed to meet a need and benefitted from the incredible support from organizations in the region such as the Gatineau Valley SADC, the Gatineau Valley RCM and the Maniwaki Chamber of Commerce. We’ve not had a lull since we opened, and quite the opposite is true,” pointed out Gendron, who admits he adapted his company to the reality of the market when it comes to recruiting his workforce. Given the keen concern they have for their employees, they made changes to the employees’ working conditions by proposing competitive salaries and offering them the option of working from home, one of whom is in Morocco.
CONTRIBUTING TO THE SUCCESS OF SEVERAL COMPANIES
Some 90% of our customers come from the Valley, about 7% from Mont-Laurier
Groupe Webaction also expanded to the Mont-Laurier region when it opened an office at Lac des Écorces last June 16. According to Gendron, his company will also be meeting a need of companies in this new market that was underdeveloped.
“Some 90% of our customers come from the Valley, about 7% from Mont-Laurier and the rest from Gatineau-Ottawa. In the future, we also have plans for this major urban area. We always seize opportunities that come our way, whether in the region or an urban setting, as distance is not an issue for us,” said Gendron.
THE EXPANSION CONTINUES
Other success stories
Carpe Diem
