EUROSIMA TERRITORIAL HUB: RETAIL TOUR FROM VANNES TO BORDEAUX

STRENGTHEN LOCAL TIES AND IDENTIFY THE CHALLENGES FACING OUR INDUSTRY

 

As part of our "TERRITORIAL HUB" campaign,EuroSIMA President Jean Louis Rodrigues and Executive Director Christophe Seiller undertook a Retail Tour from Vannes to Bordeaux. The aim of this initiative was to strengthen relations with our members and identify the local challenges facing our industry.

The aim of the Retail Tour was to visit a number of our members outside the Pays Basque - Landes region, members of our industry whom we had either never visited or had visited a long time ago, as well as newcomers such as Gong in Saint-Nazaire. It was an opportunity to try and understand their challenges, strategy, current situation and medium- and long-term vision, while discovering their new tools and production capacities. It was also a good opportunity to recall that EuroSIMA is an association based on people and listening, and we are keen to maintain this proximity to understand and best defend the expectations of our industry.

 

 

TAHÉ OUTDOOR IN VANNES

[ex Bic Sport]

Our first visit was to TAHÉ OUTDOOR in Vannes, with Renaud Lacoste. This company has a unique industrial base in France, with two main brands: TAHÉ and SIC MAUI. They produce boards, paddles, canoes and Optimist school boats (Open Skiff), and their production capacity is impressive. Faced with the same market complexities as the rest of our industry, we listened carefully to the problems faced by Tahé Outdoor and identified how EuroSIMA could support them.

 

 

GONG IN SAINT-NAZAIRE

The second visit took us to GONG's founder, Patrice Guénolé, in Saint-Nazaire. This was our first visit to this atypical company, both in terms of its business model and management. Specializing in kitesurfing and foiling, GONG brings together a fine team of nearly 150 employees, where professional well-being seems to be crucial to their managerial strategy. In addition, GONG stands out for its differentiating business model, with exclusively B2C sales via its online sales site and store, as well as an extensive up-cycling repair division.

 

 

SOÖRUZ IN LA ROCHELLE

Our third visit was to SOORUZ in La Rochelle, hosted by founders Yann Dalibot and Matthieu Barat. We hadn't been there for a long time and visited their head office and adjoining store. We had a long and interesting chat with the two founders about their vision, current realities and future plans. The visit reinforced SOORUZ's understanding of the advantages of belonging to EuroSIMA.

 

 

SHAPERS CLUB IN MARENNES-HIERS-BROUAGE

[ex UWL]

Then we met Thomas and Renaud Cardinal, the two founders of SHAPERS CLUB. Although close to us, they are not yet members. We visited their new headquarters, store and shaping room, inaugurated on Saturday. Their project stands out for its commitment to eco-responsibility, while at the same time being a living space including a store, several shaping rooms, a yoga and sports room, a cafeteria, a co-working space and meeting rooms. Their concept of inviting renowned shapers is unique and obviously highly respected in the industry. All in all, a wonderful visit to their new premises!

 

 

OXBOW IN MÉRIGNAC

The last visit of our tour took place at OXBOW in Mérignac, in the company ofEmmanuel Debruères and Jean-Christophe Chétail. We visited their new headquarters and showroom, a superb place to work. We discussed their strategy, current figures and market situation, as well as their prospects for international development.

 

 

TERRITORIAL HUB

EuroSIMA, as a key player in the Action Sports industry, is proud to launch its strategic campaign: "TERRITORIAL HUB". This initiative aims to enhance EuroSIMA's role as a national and regional hub, promoting the development and growth of our members within local territories. The campaign underlines our commitment to building strong partnerships and creating growth opportunities at national and regional level. TERRITORIAL HUB aims to strengthen the influence of our Action Sports industry in our territories, while highlighting the long-standing, in-depth work of EuroSIMA's teams in the interests of our industry.

This Retail Tour was a fantastic opportunity to strengthen ties with our members and deepen our understanding of the local dynamics of our industry. Each visit enabled us to identify the specific needs of our members and discover their innovations and challenges.

 

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EUROSIMA RETAIL TOUR FROM VANNES TO BORDEAUX

STRENGTHENING LOCAL CONNECTIONS AND IDENTIFYING INDUSTRY CHALLENGES

 

As part of our "TERRITORIAL HUB" campaign, EuroSIMA President, Jean Louis Rodrigues and Executive Director, Christophe Seiller, went on a Retail Tour from Vannes to Bordeaux. This initiative aimed to reinforce relations with our members and to clearly identify local challenges in our industry. The Retail Tour's goal was to visit some of our members from outside the Pays-Basque and Landes area, whom we had never visited or had not visited in a long time as well as to meet some of our newer members such as Gong in Saint-Nazaire. It was an opportunity to try and understand their current situations, their strategies and the challenges they face to establish both short and long-term perspectives, while discovering their latest tools and manufacturing capabilities. It was also a great excuse to remember that EuroSIMA is first and foremost an association based on people and listening. We are committed to keeping such close ties to the field and our members to understand and defend our industry's needs and interests as best we can.

 

TAHÉ OUTDOOR IN VANNES

[ex Bic Sport]

Our first visit was to TAHÉ OUTDOOR in Vannes, with Renaud Lacoste. This company owns an industrial tool that is one of a kind in France and works with two brands: TAHÉ and SIC MAUI. They manufacture boards, paddles, kayaks, canoes and Optimist-type learning boards (Open Skiff). Their production capabilities are impressive. Since they face the same market complexities as the rest of our industry, we listened carefully to the challenges that Tahé Outdoor faces to determine how EuroSIMA can be of help.

 

GONG IN SAINT-NAZAIRE

Our second visit led us to visit GONG in Saint-Nazaire with GONG Founder, Patrice Guénolé. It was our first visit to this company, which can be described as atypical both for its business model and management approach. GONG is a company that specialises in kitesurf and foil. With nearly 150 employees, wellness at work seems to be a crucial aspect of their management strategy. Furthermore, GONG stands out for its singular business model, which is exclusively based on B2C through its online shop and sales as well as through its impressive up-cycling and repair department.

 

SOORUZ IN LA ROCHELLE

Our third visit took place at SOORUZ in La Rochelle, where we were welcomed by founders Yann Dalibot and Matthieu Barat. We hadn't been there for quite some time and took the opportunity to visit their head office and the shop next door. We had a long and very interesting conversation with the founders about their current realities, vision and projects for the future. This visit helped reinforce the SOORUZ founders' understanding of the advantages of being EuroSIMA members.

 

SHAPERS CLUB IN MARENNES-HIERS-BROUAGE

[ex UWL]

Next, we met up with Thomas and Renaud Cardinal, the two founders of SHAPERS CLUB. Although we already have close ties, they are not yet members. We visited their new head offices, shop and shape workshop, which was inaugurated this past Saturday. Their project stands out by its commitment to an eco responsible approach, while offering a venue that includes a shop, several shaping rooms, a sports and yoga center, a cafeteria, co-working space and meeting rooms. Their concept of inviting famous shapers is unique and, needless to say, highly praised in our field of work. In short, it was a great visit of their new premises!

 

OXBOW IN MÉRIGNAC

The final visit of our tour was at OXBOW in Mérignac, with Emmanuel Debruères and Jean-Christophe Chétail. We visited their new head offices and showroom, an incredible work place. We talked about their strategy, their current figures and the market situation as well as their perspectives for development on a global scale.

 

TERRITORIAL HUB

As a key player in the Action Sports industry, EuroSIMA is proud to launch its latest campaign: "TERRITORIAL HUB". This initiative aims to promote EuroSIMA's national and regional role in fostering development and growth for our members in local territories. The campaign also highlights our commitment towards building strong partnerships and creating growth opportunities on national and regional levels. TERRITORIAL HUB aims to reinforce the Action Sports industry within our territories while putting a spotlight on the long-standing background work our EuroSIMA teams carry out in the best interest of our industry.

This Retail Tour was a great opportunity to strengthen ties with our members and to increase our understanding of industry issues on a local scale. Each visit helped us determine specific needs for each of our members and to discover both their innovations and challenges.