Montreal-based company XYZ Cultural Technology, specialized in audiovisual integration and the creation of immersive experiences, enjoyed a particularly prosperous year in 2016, including opening a new office in the Middle East, winning major contracts, improving its service offering and earning industry recognition in the form of several awards. The company has doubled its staff, which now counts 50 permanent employees. Capping off ten years of growth, XYZ’s managers are more than pleased with last year’s performance.
Distinct competitive advantages
Jacques Larue, principal associate, believes that the company owes its success to three factors: XYZ is a small company with a flexible structure, which means it can offer excellent service to its clients, regardless of the size of the project. Furthermore, the account directors establish solid partnerships with suppliers, giving them access to incredibly competitive pricing for their clients. And finally, XYZ’s managers have developed programs to recruit talent and hold onto it. “We have hired key players in order to expand our offer in content creation and interactivity and to improve our management processes,” he explains. “The industry holds no secrets: maintaining excellent relationships with our various partners is paramount. It’s all about teamwork.”
Industry recognition
In the past, the company has had a hard time having its successes recognized because XYZ’s specialists operate in the shadows. “The point of good audiovisual integration is that it vanishes, leaving the spotlight to shine on our clients’ content,” continues Larue. The company did manage to get Deloitte’s attention, though, which awarded XYZ 25th place in its prestigious Technology Fast50 program of Canadian companies with the strongest growth in the technology sector in 2016 (3rd in Québec). In addition, XYZ was chosen to take part in Parcours Innovation PME Montréal 2017, a joint initiative of the city of Montréal and the Ministry of Economy, Science and Innovation to stimulate growth in small and mid-size Montréal businesses with strong potential.
Promising future projects
XYZ, which has offices in Montréal, Québec City, and Merida (Mexico), has just opened an office in Dubai to develop the Middle-East market. The company is already working on interactivity and augmented reality projects in India and Dubai. In Québec, the immersive experience Statera will open in Sorel-Tracy in 2018. “We intend to continue exporting our Montréal expertise all over the globe!” concludes Larue.