Brothers Jean-Philippe, François-Xavier, and Guillaume Robert personal and function Quartz Co., a Quebec-based winter outerwear model specializing in Canadian-made jackets and parkas. We at Altitude Sports activities have been fortunate sufficient to share in Quartz Co.’s development, having collaborated on winter parkas the final 5 winter seasons.
We just lately sat down with the three brothers at certainly one of their new services. We chatted about their pivot to domestic-based manufacturing, the challenges of basing their manufacturing in Canada, and what the longer term holds for Quartz Co.
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Why did you guys determine to buy your individual manufacturing manufacturing facility?
Guillaume: Our personal manufacturing facility was a logical step. With gross sales growing, we would have liked to spice up productiveness with out compromising high quality. A manufacturing facility permits us to take care of our excessive requirements.
What’s totally different about the best way you’re manufacturing at present, versus the way it was being accomplished earlier than?
Guillaume: Our new factories are primarily stitching. They complement factories we have already got and assist us management all the manufacturing course of. At our manufacturing facility in St-Hyacinthe, we undergo a number of manufacturing phases – primarily cloth chopping, inspection, storage, and delivery.
We simply realized the three of you’re skilled engineers. How does that affect your work?
Jean-Philippe: First, efficiency is all the time key. Numerous effort is put into how merchandise are made, researching new supplies, and guaranteeing our jackets are well-designed and prepared for the weather – and that they final. Second, we’re uncommon on this trade as a result of we handle our personal manufacturing manufacturing facility. We face technical, organizational, and logistics points frequently that we – as engineers – can all deal with.
Which of you is the most important geek?
Jean-Philippe: (laughs) Undoubtedly Xav! Since he was little, he’s all the time been fascinated by expertise. He loves understanding the small print of how issues work. He additionally contributes creatively. Let’s name Xav our part-time geek!
You’re three brothers working Quartz Co. – how do you guarantee your merchandise attraction to feminine clientele?
Jean-Philippe: We’re lucky to work with many wonderful girls on our design and improvement groups. Variety is our power – it permits us to collaborate on product concepts, together with males’s collections.
What evokes you each day?
Jean-Philippe: The extra time I spend outdoors, the happier I’m. The outside offers me an opportunity to step again, recharge, and work by means of concepts. Quartz Co. has taken me to the 4 corners of the globe. Every time I get the prospect, I’ll take a second in nature.
Being not solely Canadian however Quebec-based, what are a few of your hardest challenges?
François-Xavier: Domestically-made merchandise create a major problem. Tailoring, for instance, isn’t one thing that’s taught in a single day – it’s exhausting to extend manufacturing when every thing’s hand-stitched. As a result of our merchandise are assured for all times now we have to be meticulous to make sure excessive requirements.
How did Quartz Co. discover a lot success in Japan, the place match and standards are so totally different?
Jean-Philippe: We’ve all the time centered on our worldwide presence. The Japanese are keen on “unique” merchandise with robust identities. For instance, denims with an “American match” attraction to them as a result of they’re genuine. We’re at present growing merchandise solely for Japan. We even have stable relations throughout a number of key worldwide markets.
Why select down insulation versus one thing cheaper?
Jean-Philippe: We pay shut consideration to the place merchandise are sourced. The down in our duvets is 100% traceable to an moral supply, and is from mature Canadian geese from the agri-food trade. We use these duvets for his or her efficiency and warmth-to-weight ratio. Ethically sourced duvets are in-line with our values and naturally match our Canadian-made coats.
Which jacket or parka are you most pleased with?
Jean-Philippe: We love every bit from our assortment, however what makes us most proud is introducing a jacket design that lasts a number of seasons. That mentioned, the Champlain and Genia are key to Quartz Co. and are on the coronary heart of our success right here and internationally.
What made you wish to purchase a clothes model?
Jean-Philippe: I all the time wished to create a high-end product made in Canada, that might be bought globally. Jackets made sense. The chance to buy Quartz-Nature offered itself, and every thing moved rapidly from there. I believe vogue is an ideal mix of my artistic and Cartesian sides.
The truth that we are able to produce top-of-the-line coats that symbolize a robust custom of Canadian craftsmanship, whereas using over 100 folks, is one thing that I’m extraordinarily pleased with.
Xavier, you began out as a guide for Accenture – what made you give that up for the lifetime of an entrepreneur?
François-Xavier: I’ve all the time had an entrepreneurial spirit. Whereas I used to be finding out, Jean-Phillipe and I began a enterprise promoting promotional objects. I additionally launched a kitesurfing distribution firm in Spain that I bought so I may end my Bachelors in Electrical Engineering. I knew that I wished my very own enterprise, and J.P. (Jean-Philippe) was a really perfect companion. I haven’t seemed again, and I’m proud of the choice.
Guillaume, you’ve got a background in building. What made you wish to leap into vogue?
Guillaume: My brothers and I’ve all the time had a great understanding, and I’m very lucky to work with them. The worlds of vogue and building are very totally different. That mentioned, the expertise I gained from managing initiatives, supplies, and personnel is one thing that translated properly to my function at Quartz Co.
That is the fifth yr in a row that you simply’ve labored with Altitude Sports activities on an unique collaboration. What excites you most about this design?
Jean-Philippe: Our objective was to create a product that mixed an city design with technical particulars whereas paying tribute to Altitude-Sports activities’ origins as curators of out of doors attire. The result’s a contemporary down jacket with options like micro-rip cease cloth, sealed clasps, and first colors – it’s a novel piece that stands out.
What does the longer term maintain for Quartz Co.?
Jean-Philippe: We’ve had a big demand – each regionally and internationally – to create light-weight jackets for Fall and Spring. We’ve received a choice of new jackets that might be out there Spring 2020 together with the arrival of extremely technical and sturdy cottons.
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