As sales ended today on the $150 million 2015 share issue, Capital régional et coopératif Desjardins (CRCD) is proud to welcome to its family of shareholders a record 12,400 new investors. In fact, of the 51,700 Québec taxpayers who bought shares this year, 24% were first-time buyers.

The 2015 issue marks the first time CRCD has raised $150 million with a maximum subscription of $3,000 and a Québec tax credit of 45%. In 2014, CRCD share sales were capped at $63 million in accordance with its constituting act. The last time $150 million in shares was offered was in 2013, when the maximum subscription amounted to $5,000. During that issue, some 34,200 taxpayers bought shares, with about 4,900 as first-time buyers.

“We have achieved our objective for the 2015 issue,” noted Marie-Claude Boisvert, Chief Operating Officer of Desjardins Business Capital régional et coopératif, which manages CRCD. “Setting the subscription at $3,000 allowed us to broaden the product’s accessibility. And the improvements we made in the appointment request process using a web-based form meant a user-friendly experience for our 51,700 investors that was robust, accessible and fair. Collectively, they’re acting to value and nurture the best of Québec entrepreneurship,” Ms. Boisvert affirmed.

The amount and details for the sale of the 2016 Capital régional et coopératif Desjardins share issue will be made available in a press release at a later date.

To learn more about CRCD’s economic role in Québec and its regions, please visit this web page.

About Capital régional et coopératif Desjardins

Capital régional et coopératif Desjardins (CRCD) has a real affinity for SMEs. Since its inception in 2001, CRCD, a public corporation, has actively participated in Québec’s economic development. Together with its manager, Desjardins Business Capital régional et coopératif, CRCD has deployed innovative and unparalleled solutions in the entrepreneurial market in the form of various partnerships that now form its ecosystem. With over 100,000 shareholders and net assets of $1,593 million, CRCD is a lever of choice for cooperatives and regional SMEs seeking to achieve their full potential. As at June 30, 2015, CRCD and its ecosystem supported the growth of 388 companies, cooperatives and funds in various industries spanning all Québec regions, while helping to create and retain 62,000 jobs. (www.capitalregional.com)