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Esquif - not dead after all?
Posted: Mon May 04, 2015 3:11 pm
by sbroam
http://www.rapidmedia.com/canoeing/cate ... iness.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Their next boat needs to be called the Phoenix...
Good news!
Re: Esquif - not dead after all?
Posted: Mon May 04, 2015 3:46 pm
by milkman
From Canoeroots:
Esquif Canoes announced this morning that they are back in business and will resume manufacturing canoes in their Frampton, Quebec factory. After filing for bankruptcy in March, president and founder of Esquif Canoes Jacques Chassé told Rapid Media last week that the creditors have agreed to a buyback proposal of the company’s assets.
In 2013, PolyOne, the US manufacturer of Royalex, announced that it would no longer be producing the popular canoe hull material thereby cutting supply to Esquif. Eighty percent of Esquif Canoes were manufactuered using Royalex. Manufacturers stocked up on Royalex sheets for the 2014 season but the increased consumer and outfitter demand due to the threat of scarcity diminished inventories by last fall. Although Rapid Media has reported that Chassé had been working on a replacement for Royalex; without a material to make boats, Esquif had a serious cash flow problem.
"We needed a solution, but the research and the development required to manufacture such a highly-specialized technical material requires much time and resources. We ran a bit short on both!" explains the company founder. "Fortunately, we proved that Esquif was viable and that we are now ready to initiate the manufacturing of the new T-Formex that will replace Royalex".
Esquif intends to operate a sales branch dedicated to T-Formex. The company will not only build its own canoes from this new material, it plans on selling the sheets to other canoe builders who also have been left in the lurch.
"The market’s interest for such a product is significant and many customers have already placed an order for the specialized plastic,” says Chassé.
In a telephone conversation with Rapid Media publisher Scott MacGregor, Chassé said that he expects T-Formex to be ready by the fall and canoes ready to paddle for the 2016 season. In the meantime, production of Esquif’s composite and rotomolded polyethelene boats will begin immediately. Chassé also said that there is a limited number of whitewater solo canoes still available.
Re: Esquif - not dead after all?
Posted: Mon May 04, 2015 4:03 pm
by Mikey B
Wow...great news!
Re: Esquif - not dead after all?
Posted: Mon May 04, 2015 4:20 pm
by beereddy
Great news!
Re: Esquif - not dead after all?
Posted: Mon May 04, 2015 5:12 pm
by keez
Already put in a L'Edge order.
Re: Esquif - not dead after all?
Posted: Mon May 04, 2015 5:19 pm
by Sir Adam
That is indeed awesome news!!
Re: Esquif - not dead after all?
Posted: Mon May 04, 2015 5:48 pm
by Paddle Power
long live Esquif!
Re: Esquif - not dead after all?
Posted: Mon May 04, 2015 5:58 pm
by PAC
PE boats too I'm assuming!
Re: Esquif - not dead after all?
Posted: Mon May 04, 2015 10:04 pm
by chuck naill
Made my day....
Re: Esquif - not dead after all?
Posted: Tue May 05, 2015 12:57 am
by Wendy
Fantastic!!!
Re: Esquif - not dead after all?
Posted: Fri May 08, 2015 12:59 am
by kx250guy
They cannot continue to do business as before otherwise
They will end up financial trouble again. I would expect
Focus only on certain products for a while . Anyways
It's it's all good news !