<html>
<head>
<meta name="Generator" content="Corel WordPerfect 8">
<title>PETTIGREW ANNOUNCES DEALS WORTH $7.7 MILLION IN CZECH REPUBLIC</title>
</head>
<body text="#000000" link="#0000ff" vlink="#551a8b" alink="#ff0000" bgcolor="#c0c0c0">
<p><font size="+1"></font><font face="Arial" size="+1"></font><font face="Arial" size="+1"><strong></strong></font><font face="Arial" size="+1"><strong>September 13, 2000 <em>(1:45 p.m. EDT)</em> No. 230</strong></font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font face="Arial" size="+1"><strong>PETTIGREW ANNOUNCES DEALS WORTH $7.7 MILLION IN </strong></font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font face="Arial" size="+1"><strong>CZECH REPUBLIC</strong></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial"></font><font face="Arial">Canadian business representatives signed $7.7 million in deals today in the
Czech Republic -- the third stop of a trade mission to Central Europe led by
International Trade Minister Pierre Pettigrew.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">"The contracts signed today are fine examples of the many opportunities for
Canadian businesses in the Czech Republic," said Mr. Pettigrew. "I am very
pleased with the business links and other partnerships we are forming here this
week."</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Many of the 55 business delegates on the mission said that they expect to sign
more contracts in the near future as a result of the trade mission.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">The contracts signed today include a $5-million, five-year deal by Lambton
Pultrusion Inc., of Camlachie, Ontario, to provide a Czech company with the
technology for the manufacturing of structural fibreglass products. Lambton
president Alexander Topol, is from the former Czechoslovakia, but fled the
country's communist rule in 1969, emigrating to Canada. In 1997 he returned to
Prague for the first time, intent on doing business from Canada with his native
land to contribute to the development of the Czech Republic's new market
economy.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Distributions Gypco Inc., of Anjou, Quebec, signed a $2.2 million contract today
with a Czech construction company to add 150 housing units to a social housing
complex in the municipality of Pibor. Gypco, an exporter of construction
materials, plans to sign two other contracts later this week -- one for $4.4 million,
and the other for $7.4 million. BIOVIT impex co., of Kanata, Ontario, signed a $500
000 contract with a distributor of medical supplies in the Czech Republic to sell
natural health products.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">The Canada-Czech Republic Chamber of Commerce signed a memorandum of
understanding to launch a project to place Czech junior managers with Canadian
companies for three-month internships.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Trade mission delegates also heard from Otto Jelinek -- former Canadian Cabinet
Minister and Member of Parliament for Oakville-Milton, Ontario -- now with the
accounting firm Deloitte & Touche. Mr. Jelinek, who is of Czech descent, gave a
talk on "Doing Business in the Czech Republic from a Canadian Perspective."</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Minister Pettigrew met with Milada Vlasakova, Czech Deputy Minister of Industry
and Trade for Restructuring and Property Administration. He is scheduled to meet
tomorrow with Czech Deputy Prime Minister of Finance Pavel Mertlik and Miroslav
Gregr, Minister of Trade and Industry.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">The September 10 to15 trade mission began in Budapest, Hungary, then
continued in Bratislava, Slovak Republic -- where several other contracts and
agreements were signed -- prior to the stop in Prague. The trade mission will
continue in Ljubljana, Slovenia.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">For more information about the mission, visit the Team Canada Web site at</font></p>
<p><a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20070220203504/http://www.tcm-mec.gc.ca/"><font face="Arial">http://www.tcm-mec.gc.ca</a></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">.</font><font face="Arial"></font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font face="Arial">-30-</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">A backgrounder is attached.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">For further information, media representatives may contact:</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Sylvie Bussières</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Office of the Minister for International Trade</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">(613) 992-7332</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Media Relations Office</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">(613) 995-1874</font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font face="Arial"></font><font face="Arial"><strong></strong></font><font face="Arial" size="+1"><strong>BACKGROUNDER</strong></font><font face="Arial"></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial"><strong>BIOVIT impex co.</strong></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">BIOVIT impex co., of Kanata, Ontario, signed a $500 000 contract with Phoenix
Ltd. Phoenix, a distributor of medical supplies in the Czech Republic, is buying
natural herbal remedy products manufactured by Swiss Natural Sources in
Richmond Hill, Ontario. The contract is renewable after one year.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial"><strong>Canada-Czech Republic Chamber of Commerce</strong></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">The Canada-Czech Republic Chamber of Commerce is signing a memorandum of
understanding with CKD Kutna Hora Ltd. and the Brno University of Technology
to co-operate on a new business internship program. The "BIP Project" will
involve placing Czech junior managers with Canadian companies for three-month
internships. The program will give participants the opportunity to apply their
academic knowledge to practical business applications. It will help better
acquaint Czechs with North-American business practices.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial"><strong>Lambton Pultrusion Inc.</strong></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Lambton Pultrusion Inc., of Camlachie, (Lambton County) Ontario, is signing its
first contract with a Czech company, P+T spolenost s r.o., to provide technology
for the manufacturing of structural fiberglass products. The five-year contract is
valued at about $5 million.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">The company President, Alexander Topol, is from the former Czechoslovakia. He
fled from the country's communist rule in 1969 and has been in Canada for the
past 31 years. In 1997, Mr. Topol returned to Prague for the first time. He was
intent on doing business from Canada with his homeland, as his way of
contributing to the development of the Czech Republic's new market economy.
Mr. Topol has succeeded, with the contract signed today, 52 meetings with Czech
companies lined up for the next week and the possibility of at least two other
contracts.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">"I am very grateful to the Canadian government for putting together this trade
mission and helping us to meet with Czech business representatives," said Mr.
Topol. </font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">The company is also conducting a joint research project with the National
Research Council on infrastructure development related to both Canadian and
Czech needs.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial"><strong>Distributions Gypco Inc.</strong></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Distributions Gypco Inc., of Anjou, Quebec, is signing a $2.2 million contract
today with the Czech company eské a slovenské spalovny. Through their
partnership the companies will add 150 housing units to a social housing
complex in the municipality of Pibor. Gypco is an international exporter of
construction materials. The company will now export its technology to the Czech
Republic by sending personnel from Canada to show Czech builders, who are
accustomed to using cement, how to work with Gypco products, including metal
stud insulators and concrete panels. These products are more durable than
traditional cement, which tends to crack after a few years.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Gypco also plans to sign two other similar contracts with eské a slovenské
spalovny on Friday and Saturday. One contract will involve $4.4 million to build
some 300 housing units and the other will involve at least $7.4 million to build
more than 500 housing units -- both in the municipality of Ostrava.</font></p>
</body>
</html>
