Graphiscan is now recognized as one of the largest printers in Quebec, operating three plants, in Montréal, Longueuil and Alma, and employing 110 people.
But did you know that it all started in the basement of a house?
A print shop born in an Alma basement
The family business was founded in Alma, in Lac-Saint-Jean, in 1976 by Paul Gagnon, and was then called Imprimerie G.R.
Mr. Gagnon was a pressman for a local school board and decided to use the basement of his home to strike out on his own, with very rudimentary equipment. He had two presses, a paper cutter and a darkroom to develop camera film.
Alain Ouellet had a front-row seat for the print shop’s first steps: “I was 14 and, like many kids in the neighbourhood, I’d go and give him a hand after school. I did binding and put together notepads. We went through the kitchen to get to the basement!”
From a basement to a large building
45 years later, Alain Ouellet still works for the company he watched grow before his eyes: “In the early ’80s, we went from a small basement to a big building. We had little equipment, and all of a sudden far too much space!” In fact, the Alma print shop still occupies that building today.
At the time, the town had five print shops; only one is left: “We expanded. We printed invoices in two or three copies, business cards, restaurant placemats, envelopes, driving school manuals and flyers. Paper was very popular in those years.”
A second generation at the helm
In 2001, after Paul Gagnon passed away, his son Denis took over the business: “Denis grew up in that world, it’s in his blood! He started working with his father at the age of 12. He worked his way up through production, starting with assembly and operations, then as a sales representative.”
The son wanted to take the family print shop to the next level: “The new president had his vision. Technology was evolving and digital cameras were becoming the norm. So we bought the first digital press in Canada. It was 2002 and we were at the cutting edge of the field!”
Growth through acquisitions
Between 2005 and 2010, Imprimerie GR acquired three print shops in the Québec City region: Impression J.L, Graphiscan Québec and Imprimerie Oparé.
Then, in 2012, Denis Gagnon saw a business opportunity and decided to buy Opale Impression, a large print shop in Longueuil.
That is when Imprimerie GR changed its name to Graphiscan Alma, so that all the companies would share the same name.
Graphiscan would share its contracts and mandates according to the expertise of each plant, which Alain Ouellet describes as a turning point: “From that day on, in Alma, we received contracts from all over Quebec, which brought new money into the region and secured our jobs.”
In 2015, Graphiscan acquired the well-known print shop Au Point Reprotech, in Anjou. The addition broadened its range of services and made Graphiscan a major player in Quebec. The Anjou SME was later merged into the Longueuil plant.
Growth continued in 2017 when Graphiscan acquired Groupe Litho in Montréal. The deal put it at the forefront of the industry, notably with an online ordering platform: “The president’s vision allows us to offer niche products and a diversified range of services. He always wants to be ahead of the curve and on the cutting edge of technology,” says Marylène Gagnon, a sales representative at Graphiscan in Longueuil for the past 10 years.
In 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, the newest member of the family joined the group: Quadriscan, a print shop on the edge of Montréal’s Little Italy. “COVID and the labour shortage were major obstacles for SMEs. Many entrepreneurs pulled back, but Denis Gagnon did the opposite! I admire that kind of leader: he’s the captain of the ship, he trusts his managers and gives us room to manoeuvre. We all feel like shareholders in the company.”
Heading for 50 years
That is the path Graphiscan intends to follow as it keeps growing, always on the lookout for the next opportunity. The company will celebrate 50 years in business in 2026. With annual sales of $25 million, it is safe to say it has mastered the recipe for success!
