Premier Peat Moss Corporation arrives in
New York.
Premier Peat Moss Corporation was the first company in America to market and distribute sphagnum peat moss.

Pro-Mix^® is launched on the market.
Pro-Mix^® is the first sphagnum peat moss-based mix to be put on the market.

Creation of Tourbières Premier ltée.
[December 22]
Tourbières Premier was born of the association between Bernard Bélanger, Seymour Schmerzier, Edward R. Bernstein and Abraham Zemel. At the same time, the company invests in the full automation of its production line, reducing costs while achieving higher quality control standards.

Opening of a Research Center.
Research in horticulture begins with the largest research center dedicated to develop high biotechnology growing media. The research conducted led to an innovative technology platform that allows the production of mycorrhizal fungi worldwide.

Creation of an engineering department within
Tourbières Premier.
By setting up this department to support the construction and upgrading work of its plants and develop its own automation modules, the company becomes the first in the peat moss industry to fully automate its bagging process.

Creation of Premier CDN Enterprises Ltd.
[September 24]
Registration to the Montreal Stock Exchange.
[December 29]
Official incorporation of the assets of Tourbières Premier ltée and of the Research Center. The shares of Premier CDN Enterprises are then listed on the Montreal Stock Exchange.

Transfer of the Research Center to the
subsidiary PREMIER TECH.
This decision to regroup all the research and development activities is taken in order to build bridges between the research and sales departments, and between the customer and the lab.

Acquisition of Équipements Tardif by
PREMIER TECH. [July]
The purchase of this supplier gives PREMIER TECH a new production and sales capacity, and allows it to launch the STARSCREENER , in partnership with Erin Screen Systems, a Ireland-based screening systems company.

Authorization to market the Ecoflo^® biofilter.
[July 26]
In 1986 PREMIER TECH was first mandated to develop a wastewater biofiltration system. After the company got the authorization from the Québec government to market its Ecoflo^® biofilter, using the filtering power of sphagnum peat moss.

Official launch of PROGRAMME MOBILISATEUR I.
[July]
Ended in 2001, this major research and development program brought investments of $22.7 million over four years and was a success on all parts. In all, 34 new products were designed and put on the market by four business units of PREMIER TECH.

Celebrations to mark the 75 th anniversary of
the company. [June 27]
All the personnel of PREMIER TECH and PREMIER HORTICULTURE are regrouped in a new, modern building.

Construction of a leading-edge plant in
Caraquet. [October]
This new plant specializes in the design and manufacturing of fixed and mobile screening and sorting systems.

Construction of a manufacturing plant in
Rivière-du-Loup.
This new plant, with leading-edge equipment to work metal, will be operational in February 2000.

Celebrations to mark the 10^th anniversary of
the creation of PREMIER TECH. [June 10]
Gathering of all the personnel of PREMIER TECH to reward the work and effort of the people without whom the company's constant growth would not have been possible.

Launch of the MOBILISATEUR II program. [July]
The mobilisateur II program is the logical sequel to programme mobilisateur I. The four-year program should bring the development and marketing of 55 new products in four business units of PREMIER TECH.

Opening of the Centre de développement de
procédés de production biotechnologique
(CDPPB) at La Pocatière.
This center for the development of biotechnology production methods has found a way to aseptically produce mycorrhizal fungi on an industrial scale. The mycorrhizae developed at the 13,000-square-feet plant are incorporated in the finished products (MYKE^® and MYCORISE^® PRO) mixed at the PREMIER TECH BIOTECHNOLOGIES plant in Rivière-du-Loup.

Acquisition of Chronos Holdings Ltd.
(CHRONOS RICHARDSON). [December]
CHRONOS RICHARDSON specializes mainly in bagging systems and equipment for powders and granular products. Its product lines include weighing systems, open-mouth and valve bagging systems, and palletizing systems, among others.

Official inauguration of Rivière-du-Loup's
Carrefour de la nouvelle économie (CNE).
[December 16]
This 3,000-square-meter new economy center is located on the premises of PREMIER TECH's corporate office. PREMIER TECH's team members working at the CNE specialize in information technology, research and development, and in the gathering of data for product development, preparation and design.

Opening of a workplace daycare service.
[April 19]
PREMIER TECH has become the first company in the Eastern Quebec region to offer its team members workplace daycare service, located on the premises of its corporate office. The early childhood center "La Relève des mousses" has 42 places, including ten for babies, and is intended mainly for PREMIER TECH's team members.

Premier Tech becomes a major partner in the construction of a new arena in Rivière-du-Loup, the Premier Tech Centre
Doing so, Premier Tech is putting forward its will to promote physical activity and development through sports. Furthermore, the versatility of the Premier Tech Centre makes it an ideal place to hold a whole range of events and enhance regional dynamism.

ESSOR, a new IR&D program, is launched (2005-2010)
This new initiative provides Premier Tech's teams with tools required for the diversification and the improvement of its offer. ESSOR, with a total budget of close to $80 million, will contribute to the development of 153 new products and the creation of 150 new jobs.

Centralization of CRSe's activities in Parma, Italy
The majority of the products available for the European market are now manufactured at CRSe's Parma plant. The other European operations are in charge of maintenance, parts and after-sales service.