Groupe Beaudry acquires Groupe Saga
Groupe Beaudry is in growth mode after acquiring Groupe Saga in Quebec.
Founded in 1978, Groupe Saga includes 68 convenience stores operating under the Sagamie, Marché Sagamie, Super Sagamie and Quali-T banners. Located in the Saguenay Lac St-Jean region, on its website it says it operates across nine regions. Many of its stores feature forecourts with gas brands that include, PetroT, Sonic, Petro-Canada and Esso.
It all started some 35 years ago with the union of convenience store owners from Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, who created the Association of Independent Food Merchants (AMI) "with the aim of creating a strike force and benefits of being grouped for inventory acquisition," according to the group's website.
In 1988, Groupe Saga was created to develop the group's Super Sagamie banner and the mandate of the group was to manage the supply and the negotiation of group prices.
The acquisition is significant for Groupe Beaudry, which now operates more than 550 independent convenience stores, making it the largest independent food wholesaler in Eastern Canada. Its brands include the Beau-Soir, Sagamie, Dépanneur A+, Ultra, Marché Éclair and Sermax banners.
"Having been in the food business for over 100 years, this acquisition marks an important
milestone in Groupe Beaudry’s history," says François Beaudry, co-president of Groupe Beaudry. "As entrepreneurs, we're always on the lookout for new opportunities, and we're delighted to announce that Groupe Saga has joined us. They are a major player in the Saguenay Lac St-Jean region, a region where we see very interesting development potential."
In a release, the company said Sagamie merchants will benefit from Groupe Beaudry's "expertise, the many services offered by the company and its dedicated team of over 350 employees."
Groupe Beaudry adds that is it committed to continuing to develop the Sagamie banner throughout the province of Quebec.
"The family aspect of our business has always been our trademark," says Groupe Beaudry co-president Jean-Philippe Beaudry. "This acquisition marks the addition of new members to the Groupe Beaudry family, but in no way does it change what makes us strong. We will look after the best interests of the members of the Saga Group, as we do today for every convenience store in our various banners, while retaining the human and family touch."
With over 100 years of history, Groupe Beaudry is a family-owned food distribution
company with offices in four regions, nine satellite warehouses and more than 350
employees. Over the years, the company has made a number of acquisitions, including
J.B Cadrin, F.Charest and Roland & Frères, in addition to creating numerous
partnerships and strategic alliances.
