On its 35th anniversary, Louis Garneau Sports (LGS) is celebrating with a strategic acquisition. SUGOI, the cyclewear apparel line of publicly traded Dorel Industries, owner of Dorel Sports, is now part of the Garneau family of brands.
SUGOI, founded in 1987 by two Vancouver entrepreneurs, specializes in cycling, triathlon and running apparel. It is also home to Sombrio, a mountain bike apparel brand well-known among fans of this sport. Sombrio has been in existence for over 15 years, with designs inspired by Vancouver’s North Shore.
Garneau notes that the strategic acquisition will reinforce its positioning on the West Coast of both Canada and the USA and provide strategic opportunities for growth in Western Europe and Asia. SUGOI is currently present in over 3,000 retailers and has ‘always been based on innovation and quality, just like Sombrio’.
“This acquisition will enable Garneau Group to rapidly increase its sales and become a world leader in cycling apparel,” said LGS President and founder, Louis Garneau. “We will proceed with the official launch at the Eurobike International Bike Trade Show, which will be held in Germany [on] July 8-10, 2018. We will present our 3 brands and put forth the Canadian spirit and the strength of our innovations.”
With the arrival of the second generation of Garneaus in the company, LGS adds that it is undergoing a transformation and regeneration of its business model. William Garneau, 28, is General Manager of the company while Edouard, 25, is Sales Director. The youngest, Victoria, 21, has just finished her studies in Fashion Design and will soon be joining her brothers full-time in the family company.
A release from LGS states ‘This completes the Dream Team, reinventing itself with the help of the world-class communications firm Cossette and supported by Garneau’s proven management team.’
“We are reinventing ourselves because cycling is not only about the professionals, it is also a lifestyle,” Louis Garneau explained. “We will be touching many categories of cycling through apparel. We want to become the leader by introducing a ready-to-wear bike apparel segment for people who practice active transportation, making biking accessible and fun for everyone and, in doing so, create a cycling lifestyle. We want to be the world’s cycling solution with our brand portfolio.”
He continued, “This is my legacy to my three children… this Never Give Up philosophy that is my motto, and which is demonstrated through this acquisition.”
Louis Garneau Sports will keep Sales & Marketing operations for SUGOI and Sombrio in Vancouver, as well as product design, with the aim of keeping the spirit of the Canadian West Coast alive. The rest of the activities will be transferred to the LGS head office in Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, Quebec, where approximately 10 new jobs will be created.
Founded in 1983, the Louis Garneau Group has its head office in Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, Quebec, and employs over 450 people. The company has also operated a distribution centre in Derby, Vermont, since 1987, a factory in Mexico started 10 years ago, as well as a procurement and sourcing office in China. Garneau products are sold in over 50 countries.
