RG System, the French IT management firm, had initially set stakes in the Sunshine State three years ago, but found that business demand was drawing them north as the Canadian market for their SaaS and cloud solutions began to take off.
In December 2017, they made the move relocating to downtown Toronto. Gregory Cladera, CEO of RG System, described Toronto as the perfect location for their business, "We chose Ontario because it's an economic hub. From here, we can manage all of our North American business from one place – Quebec, English Canada and the U.S. are all accessible."
When RG System was looking to expand beyond France into the North American market, the U.S. seemed like the obvious choice. However, they found that demand was growing faster in Canada, giving rise to a shift in their priorities. "Business-wise Canada is kind of a midway point between the U.S. and Europe," Cladera explains. "It's a little bit American and a little bit European, very globally focused and export oriented," making it an excellent spot for European businesses to enter the North American market. Cladera also appreciates that Toronto is home to a diverse pool of bilingual talent, crucial for a French company looking to attract more English speaking customers. "This is the place we can push from to expand all over North America," he says.
The relocation went smoothly thanks to a helping hand from Invest in Ontario. Caldera was able to speak with an International Investment Development Representative conveniently based in Toulouse, France, not far from RG System's global headquarters. "Working with [the Invest in Ontario representative] really helped, she could understand everything in French. She gave us contacts with the government, with lawyers and accountants. Everything we would need to get our start in Ontario."
Caldera had heard of Invest in Ontario from another French software company that located its North American headquarters in Canada, Berger Levrault. Both companies found the level of bilingualism and tech talent made Canada a preferable North American base, not to mention the support they found in relocating.
Cladera is optimistic about his company's potential growth from their new Toronto office. "We've experienced an 85% annual growth rate since 2013. Right now about 18% of our business is exports. I predict in a few years that number easily doubling."
He explains the company decided to become a leader in cloud-based solutions in France three years ago. Having achieved that now, it is time to take on the world with international expansion. He laughs, "We started with the American Dream, it's now on us to keep up the good work and fulfill our Canadian Dream!"
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