An exterior shot of Jean Coutu store in Longueuil, Que.Christinne Muschi/The Globe and Mail
Jean Coutu Group Inc. says it has outgrown its long-time operations centre and will spend almost $190-million to build a more spacious facility nearby.
The Quebec-based drugstore giant said on Wednesday it plans to start transferring operations from its current site in Longueuil, on Montreal's south shore, to Varennes in 2016. Varennes is about 20 kilometres northeast of Longueuil.
The 1,023 employees at head office and at the information technology centre will be moved gradually to the new facility, the company said in a news release. Construction on the new 800,000-square-foot complex – including head office and a distribution centre – is to begin next year.
Jean Coutu says the move is necessary because space is cramped at its current location in a Longueuil industrial park. It has been at that site since 1976.
Bertrand Marotte