Provigo Inc

Provigo Inc

Provigo Inc, with head offices in Montréal, is a holding company involved in the wholesale and retail distribution of foodstuffs, tobacco, drugs and general merchandise. Provigo began operations in Québec in 1961 and has since expanded to Ontario, the West, the Maritimes and California, and in Québec it now ranks as the province's largest supplier to the food services industry. In late 1987, through a wholly owned subsidiary, it acquired most of the Class A and B shares of Consumers Distributing Company Ltd. After a restructuring in 1988, the company was renamed Univa.

A takeover bid in 1993 by an American firm resulted in Unigesco selling its stakes in the company to the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec. The name was subsequently changed back to Provigo to recapture lost market share. In 1994 it had annual sales or operating revenue of $6.2 billion, assets of $1 billion and 14 000 employees. Its major shareholders are the Caisse de dépot et Placement du Québec (37%) and the Sobey Family (24%).