In the Service of Quality since 1972

During the 1970’s, the world of communications in Montreal changed with the appearance of new advertising agencies. Many young photographers heard the call and left the large studios to work independently. It was during this transition that two young laboratory technicians, Jean Delisle and Edward Weins, joined forces in 1972 to create Colorlab which soon became Corlab. Aimed primarily at photographers, advertising agencies as well as other types of businesses for their photographic needs, the two partners opened shop on Le Royer Street in Montreal.

From the beginning, service and quality were the priority: the client determined the deadline to accomplish the work required. The two founders frequently worked all night processing film in the darkroom to print contact sheets and photos. No matter what the task was, the product of their ‘’ all-nighters ‘’ was always delivered on time to the great satisfaction of Corlab’s first clients and supporters. This policy brought success to the two founders and they were soon able to attract numerous collaborators, who themselves believed in Corlab’s business philosophy and objectives.

In 1974, they recruited Luc Papineau, who is today Vice-President and General Director of the Group, and Pierre Duchaine who became Vice-President and Director of Business Development. They quickly invested in new technologies and Corlab became the first laboratory in Montreal to have an automatic development system for photographic paper. Corlab grew very quickly due to the expansion of new specialized services : printing of murals, duplicates, film processing, etc.

In 1977, Corlab moved to 322 Peel Street. Cormont, a second company specializing in monting and lamination, was created in 1981. As a result, more office space was needed and in 1983, Corlab became the owner of 175 Peel Street.

In 1992, Corlab and Cormont, who had become the national leaders in traditional imaging, consolidated under one name: Corlab Group. Soon a new challenge appeared : digital imaging. The Group responded immediately to this sweeping technological change and became the first laboratory to acquire a digital imaging system. Corlab Group quickly expanded its client base and subsequently positioned itself as a national leader in this new technology.

Corlab Group’s philosophy has not changed since 1972 : always listening to its clients and responding to their needs, their motto remains “Quality and Service”. The importance of human relations in the company, with employees, collaborators or clients has, over the years, created a synergy, loyalty and high employee retention rate. Wanting to emphasize this humanistic approach, Corlab Group decided to renew its image with more dynamic communications and to work more closely with its clients.

2009 marks the beginning of this new approach with the launching of a new logo, a new Website (the 3rd version of the company’s site) and the first newsletter during Grafika Awards Night, of which Corlab Group is a sponsor. 2009 is also the year of Corlab’s “green shift” with a stronger environmental policy and a commitment to sustainable development.