Small contract, bigger picture... Military contract
Special thanks to flowjoee in the daily chat today for sharing this:
Interesting article about Ferreol Skis securing its first Canadian military contract worth just over $300,000. Ferreol uses SCD's Scalium® aluminium-scandium alloy in its skis.
The contract itself may be small but look at the bigger picture: SCD's downstream ecosystem has connections to the Canadian military, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), and the federal government.
I wonder if they'll get a chance at using there alloys on the millions of drones Carney is building. Makes you think doesn't it 😜
We're seeing potential applications across defence, aerospace and other industries while Crater Lake advances.
It's not about the size of one order. It's about building relationships, getting products into real applications, and opening doors to future opportunities. 👀🇨🇦🚀
Article (needs to be translated):
Lastly you are all ridiculous people with this level of DD absolutely amazing stuff. Thanks for sharing you DD animals!!!
For anyone having trouble translating in English I pasted the Google translation of the article below:
Quebec-made skis serving Canadian military personnel in the Far North: Ferreol Skis thrives on innovation
The SME is specifically targeting the national defense market to pursue its growth.
The national defence market represents an interesting growth potential for Ferreol, a Quebec-based ski manufacturer, which has already obtained its first contract from the Canadian army to equip soldiers deployed in the Far North.
Thanks to innovation, the SME has developed ski mobility solutions for National Defence, which resulted last winter in a first contract worth just over $300,000.
"Our military personnel make extensive use of skis to move around in the Far North. It's a fantastic tool when it comes to going into the field to carry out operational missions or train with the various NATO countries," explained Jonathan Audet, co-founder and CEO.
Ferreol Skis, whose innovation lab is located in Beaupré, has managed to become the largest Canadian ski brand in just seven years, according to the company. The company has developed a patented aluminum-scandium alloy that it uses in the design of its products.
The company hopes this contract is the first of many to come in the defense sector.
The founders, Jonathan Audet, Félix Lapointe and Étienne Boucher, met while they were mechanical engineering students at Laval University.
"Now we are able to have a business plan and a growth strategy based on two components: market densification and the defense industry," said Mr. Audet.
Outside Quebec
The SME, which won the award for international reach at the 42nd Fidéides Gala, is attracting increasing attention. Production volume is expected to reach 3,000 pairs of skis this year, with further growth anticipated in the coming years.
It's quite rare for a company operating in this market to also create its own prototypes using its design software. But, in the case of Ferreol Skis, it must be said that the SME possesses unique expertise in innovation.
The skis, also intended for the general public, are then manufactured at Utopie MFG, in Saint-Narcisse-de-Rimouski, the largest alpine ski manufacturing plant in North America, the general manager added.
Mega-productivity reduction
Federal MP Joel Lightbound visited the innovation lab on Friday where he took the opportunity to promote the new Mega Productivity Reduction which came into effect last September.
This program allows for a 100% tax deduction on investments from the first year, enabling businesses to be more competitive. It is estimated that this measure will create nearly 80,000 jobs over the next ten years.
"For us, this will allow us to free up cash to invest even more in our innovation process," said Mr. Audet.
In recent years, the company has focused its commercial development on France, where the conditions for success are more favorable, while also making some exports to the United States.