The Caisse invests $7.8 million in BSA Inc.

The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (the "Caisse") announced today that it made a $7.8 million equity investment in Investissement BSA Inc. (BSA), a Montreal-based, food service and processing company. This investment will support BSA’s Canadian and international expansion projects.

BSA is a technical service leader in the food and meat processing industry in Québec, Ontario and the Maritimes. The company was founded in 1989 and now has 135 employees, including 120 in Québec. Its activities are split into four divisions, one of which is in India.

“Through this investment, the Caisse can participate in the transfer of BSA’s ownership and support its marketing projects,” said Normand Provost, Executive Vice-President, Private Equity and Chief Operations Officer. “BSA is a dominant player in its market and has good prospects. The company's leadership has a clear vision and the ability to seize growth opportunities. This investment demonstrates our commitment to the best performing medium-sized Québec companies on the international front.”

The Caisse aims to use its expertise, institutional networks and financial strength as a bridge between Québec companies and international markets. This support will enable companies to strengthen their international expansion and accelerate their growth. The Caisse’s contribution to economic development also comes from increasing profitable investments in promising companies and strengthening a financial sector enriched by our partnerships with universities and Québec suppliers.

About the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec
The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is a financial institution that manages funds primarily for public and private pension and insurance plans. As at December 31, 2009, it held $131.6 billion in net assets. As one of Canada’s leading institutional fund managers, the Caisse invests in major financial markets, private equity and real estate. For more information: www.cdpq.com.