Sorel’s largest employer is the Rio Tinto steel and titanium plant, with more than 1,400 employees. Over the past 20 years however, the city has seen the departure of manufacturers such as Beloit, Soreltex, Tioxide, and the French multinational Alstom. Now the city is redefining itself as a centre for industrial ecology.
Bécancour has partnered with Trois-Rivières to promote and develop both communities. In recent years, Bécancour has seen the addition of an $800-million natural gas liquefaction plant and a rare metal refinery.