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Lycra
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1 back pocket
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Ergo-bra
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Ergo concept
- A manufacturing and distribution company specialized in the design and development of high-quality sports clothing, mainly cycle wear, cycling helmets, cycling accessories, clothing and accessories for cross-country skiing and other outdoors activities, helmets for alpine skiing, swimwear, clothing for children, custom clothing for teams and corporations and, most recently, bikes and fitness equipment, cross-country poles, snowshoes and accessories.
How it all started...
In the fall of 1983, in this father’s garage and after 13 years of bike racing around the globe and winning the Canadian Championship in individual pursuit, Louis Garneau, the president founder and his wife Monique Arsenault, started manufacturing their first cycling clothes. In 1984, after participating in the Los Angeles Olympic Games, the manager-owner decided to leave active competition and turn to business. The couple’s extensive experience in cycling made them well aware of cyclists’ specific needs and enabled them to develop a range of original and comfortable clothing offered at competitive prices.
The company quickly expanded. After one year and two moves, they already had 12 employees. In 1988, after only five years, Louis Garneau Sports Inc. built a 2,2971 m2 factory with state-of-the-art equipment. Sales increased every year and LG> products were sold all over Canada. It is in 1988 that the first Louis Garneau products were sold in the United States and, in 1989, Louis Garneau opened an assembly factory in Newport, Vermont.
When the cycle wear market reached a peak in 1989, Louis Garneau looked for new products to ensure the company’s growth. He found a new niche, that of high-tech and superior quality cycling helmets and two new markets: North America and overseas. By creating original products, using inspired marketing strategies and excellent distribution, Louis Garneau Sports Inc. is today amongst the world’s largest manufacturers of high-quality cycling helmets.
With the new high-tech helmets (patented) to stimulate its marketing strategy, Louis Garneau Sports Inc. quickly assumed a leader’s position with a series of impressive innovations which extended to all its collections. It was the first company to introduce the sublimation printing process (printing by thermo-transfer) in North America, to offer an anatomic cut and fit in sports clothing, to create the MSB technology for cycling helmets, and to develop a helmet for alpine ski. During the 90s, Louis Garneau Sports Inc. gained more that 50% of helmet, cycling and cross-country ski clothing market shares in Canada. After modest helmet sales in 1989, tremendous sale increases and an export market breakthrough happened in 1990. Despite a gloomy economy, the next four years would prove very successful sales wise. By then, the company had more than 2500 customers in North America and more than 20 distributors throughout the world.
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