Louis Garneau passes the torch to his son William

Archival Photo Didier Debusschère
Louis Garneau founded his company in 1983. Today, he bequeaths all gently the management to his son William. He made the announcement at the Christmas party of the company on Friday evening. Louis Garneau hope that his other two children will not be slow to join William in the group.

Arnaud Koenig-Soutière

Sunday, 10 dec 2017 00:00

UPDATE
Sunday, 10 dec 2017 00:00

Look at this article

Louis Garneau has taken an important step in the contracting of the company to the next generation, entrusting the general management to his son William.

The business man 59-year-old retains the presidency of the company he founded in 1983. It delegates, however, the reins of North American operations to his son, 27-year-old.

“I’ve always had a general manager for 34 years. In the course of the last year, I took the two posts. Now it is William who will take care of them “, confirmed Mr. Garneau to the Log.

“A dream “

Louis Garneau launched his business in the garage of his father the year before the olympic Games in Los Angeles, in 1984, in which he has participated. Since then, she has continued to grow and now has more than 500 employees.

The business man was never hidden : it has always strived to ensure that his company’s equipment and sports clothing remains within the family.

Photo archive

William Garneau

“I really admire businesses like Simons, Alex Coulombe Pepsi-Cola and Jean Laflamme of South Shore. Them, they are given two, three generations. For me, it is a dream that has always been there, ” said Mr. Garneau.

“It’s been more than 25 years that I think of it “, he says, he who has three children. “I told them that I wish they’d come to work with me. I have seen their interest develop in adolescence, when they were racing cyclists, and then when they are in school. “

William Garneau coming to climb a step, his brother and his sister should not waste time to reach at the top of the organizational chart. Edward, 25 years old, already working within the company, while Victoria, 20 years old, complete a DEC in design at Campus Notre-Dame-de-Foy.

“We’re going to support William in there,” insists his father. After that, it is Edward who will continue to go up, and then Victoria, who will come to help us also. The next generation, it’s going to be three members of the family who will take care of the organization. “

On the web, Quebec

Gradually passing authority to the next generation, Louis Garneau also wants to ensure that the company is of its time, be it on the web. A force that he would not have been able to draw elsewhere than in youth, he believes.

Despite this shift, which will be primarily orchestrated by his children, the father does not hear from far away. He still looks well in the saddle to the presidency “for the next five or 10 years, if the health is there,” until the day when he will be ” chairman of the board of directors only “. As for the company, its headquarters appears to Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures to stay.

“We want this to be family friendly and that it’s still in Quebec. We work hard to make it work, ” says Louis Garneau.