The Montreal Gazette - MONTREAL — Pierre Ayotte got good news Friday, two days after Bombardier Inc.’s Learjet 85 completed its long-awaited maiden flight.

“Just this morning, we were given another contract by Bombardier, a deal for a second component for the Lear 85,” said the president and CEO of Mecachrome Canada Inc.

The Mirabel firm got the contract some years ago to make the two engine mounts for Bombardier’s new business aircraft. The crucial components hold the two engines in place at the rear of the aircraft.

On Friday, Bombardier called to award the firm a contract to supply the new US$20 million jet’s window frames.

“So we’re just thrilled today — absolutely delighted,” Ayotte said.

Gilles Labbé was also celebrating.

The president of Longueuil’s Héroux-Devtek Inc. said that “the landing gear for the Learjet 85 is ours, developed here by us, so we were really happy to have worked alongside Bombardier since the beginning (in 2007, when the aircraft was launched).”

The private jet is not yet in production, so Labbé and Ayotte said it’s too early to speak about new jobs being created specifically for the Learjet 85.

But Labbé added that “of course, it will create additional activity in our factories once it’s in production. And it will be in production soon.”

“We hope Bombardier makes 50, 60, 100 (Learjet 85s) a year. But we’re at the very beginning of this program, so we’ll see in due course.”

“But this is great news for our employees — and for us. It’s good news for Bombardier employees, too.”

Ayotte said that “we can’t really talk about new jobs right now just because of the Learjet 85.”

“But it’s the sum of all the parts that gives us growth. I tell government ministers and others that I’m not here to create jobs. I create wealth. And the nice thing about creating wealth is that it also creates jobs — although not at the same rate as in the old (days).”

Héroux-Devtek employs 1,000 people at various sites in Canada and the U.S. and recently added about 350 employees in the U.K. when it bought APPH, a hydraulics sub-system maker — its first acquisition outside North America.

Officials at Pratt & Whitney Canada, which makes the Learjet 85’s engines, did not return calls over two days seeking comment.

Mecachrome Canada was down to 150 employees and on the brink of bankruptcy five years ago.

Ayotte said that the company, in which two French concerns own 65 per cent and the Fonds de solidarité du Québec the other 35 per cent, is now profitable, employs 260 people and is in growth mode.

“We’re just beginning our relationship with Bombardier,” he said. “We’ve done some work for them in the past, but these two components are what I call serious parts. This is the beginning of what I think will be a great and beneficial relationship for both parties. We’re turning into an integrator (major supplier) for them.”

Mecachrome Canada has a contract for two other future Bombardier business jets, the Global 7000 and Global 8000, top-of-the-line extra-long-range private jets that will cost upwards of US$60 million apiece.

The Mirabel firm has just completed the first keel beam for the test vehicles for the Global models and shipped them to France, where French company Aerolia will integrate them into the first aircraft.

Aerolia also opened a facility in Mirabel last year to work on the two Global models.

fshalom@montrealgazette.com