From Quebec to the French Alps: Ferreol skis enter new terrain

As ski season in Canada reaches its peak, and global attention turns toward winter sports ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics, Quebec-based ski manufacturer Ferreol is marking an important milestone: its first season selling skis in Europe.

Based in Quebec City, Ferreol has entered the French market for the 2025–26 ski season with our guidance. For the founders, the move marked a transition from operations carried out almost exclusively in Canada; engineering, product development, and sales, to making international business decisions for the first time.

Ferreol was founded in 2019 by Jonathan Audet, Félix Lapointe, and Étienne Boucher who met while studying mechanical engineering at Université Laval. From the outset, their strengths lay in engineering, skiing, and performance, rather than in international business.

“Our focus was always on building great skis,” Jonathan says.

Jonathan also brought nearly a decade of experience working in a large sports retailer, where he held roles as a technician, manager, and ski department buyer. That background helped him identify what skiers were actually looking for versus what was being offered on the market at the time.

The founders’ goal was to address a gap they experienced firsthand as skiers: many skis were designed for ideal conditions, not the mixed and often challenging snow conditions common in eastern Canada. By keeping engineering in-house, the team focused on building skis that are versatile, durable, and perform consistently in real-world conditions.

“We wanted skis that worked in real conditions, not just on perfect days,” Jonathan says.

Ferreol’s locations play a key role in its operations. The company is headquartered in Quebec City, where it sells skis and manages its business activities, while benefitting from the city’s strong entrepreneurial ecosystem. In Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, near Mont-Sainte-Anne, Ferreol operates its innovation lab, using the surrounding terrain to test and refine prototypes as part of its research and development process. The company also maintains its flagship retail presence within Ski Michel in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, allowing customers to try skis before purchasing.

“Being based both in Quebec City and close to the mountain creates a unique business dynamic between our operations, sales, and the design of our skis and new technologies,” Jonathan explains.

Ferreoldesigns and manufactures its skis in Quebec, with production carried out at a shared manufacturing facility with Utopie MFG near Rimouski, powered by hydroelectricity. Wood used in its ski cores, including poplar, aspen, and maple, is sourced from responsibly managed forests located within roughly 100 kilometres of the facility. The company also incorporates bio-based materials in certain components and has experimented with natural fibres, like flax, as alternatives to traditional synthetic materials.

Ferreol’s first steps toward exporting began while the founders were still connected to Entrepreneuriat ULaval, Université Laval’s entrepreneurship program, where they were introduced to the CanExport SMEs funding program to support international business development.

That initial exposure encouraged the founders to think more seriously about international markets and led to their first contact with the TCS through the Quebec regional office in 2022.

“At that point, we were focused entirely on Canada,” says Jonathan. “The conversations helped us understand how to approach international markets more strategically.”

Early discussions with Trade Commissioners focused on clarifying options, like how different markets operate, how companies typically enter them, and how to structure decisions at an early stage. This guidance helped Ferreol move from general interest in exporting to a more deliberate plan.

France emerged as a first step not only because of its strong ski culture and shared primary language with Quebec, but because it offered a practical way to learn how European ski retail works before expanding further.

In 2024, as Ferreol began preparing more seriously for Europe, the TCS Quebec regional office provided practical guidance on exporting to the European Union, including step-by-step explanations on rules of origin, how to claim a certificate of origin under Canada–EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) for its first shipment to France, and how to use European Commission tools for self-assessment. The TCS also shared information on funding programs relevant to startups, R&D, and intellectual property.

With guidance from the TCS, Ferreol explored several market-entry options in 2024 before deciding that working with a distributor made the most sense for their expansion into France. Hélène Le Diouron, a Trade Commissioner based in Paris, helped the founders weigh different distribution models and better understand expectations in the French retail environment, and facilitated introductions to potential distributors.

Ferreol ultimately signed an agreement with distributor Sportpulsion in April 2025, with the TCS providing guidance during discussions around business practices and trade considerations, like CETA.

Ferreol skis reached French stores for the first time in fall 2025. During that first season, members of the founding team travelled to France, spending time in-store at Au Vieux Campeur locations to meet staff and explain the skis’ design and specifications directly. At the same time, the company worked to adapt its communications to the French market, drawing on market insights shared through its engagement with the TCS. 

“It was exciting to see our skis in France,” Jonathan says. “It really felt like a new chapter for the company.”

These efforts contributed to a successful entry into the French market, marked by encouraging sales and positive customer feedback.

That first international experience also prompted Ferreol to look more closely at how its innovation could apply beyond skis.

As part of its in-house ski development, Ferreol created a patented aluminum alloy called Scalium, originally developed to address a specific engineering challenge in ski construction.

“It started as something we developed for our own needs,” Jonathan recounts. “Then we realized it could be useful well beyond skiing.”

As interest in Scalium grew, the founders began exploring how the material could be applied in other sectors, including sports equipment and aerospace. To support the new business model, they created a second division, called Ferreol Technologies, and once again turned to the TCS for guidance.

In 2024, the TCS Quebec regional office connected Ferreol Technologies with Trade Commissioners specializing in aerospace markets, helping the team better understand how industrial and materials-focused sectors operate internationally. With that support, the company prepared for and participated in the Farnborough Airshow in London in 2024, followed by the Paris Airshow in France in 2025. Trade Commissioners in the United Kingdom and France provided guidance on which companies to target, how to position the technology, and facilitated introductions with key stakeholders.

Trade Commissioners also supported market discussions in Italy and Brazil, and helped connect Ferreol Technologies with Canadian companies exploring advanced materials applications, allowing the founders to assess where Scalium could be relevant beyond consumer products.

For a company rooted in research and product development, the experience reinforced how technical innovation and market knowledge need to evolve together as opportunities expand.

Ferreol’s experience shows how research-driven companies can move from product development to international sales without needing a large export team. Strong innovation is only part of the equation; understanding markets and having access to guidance can help companies progress more efficiently.

To support its expansion, Ferreol combined advisory services from the Trade Commissioner Service with TCS funding programs like CanExport SMEs and CanExport Innovation, as well as support from Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions.

In parallel, the company also drew on programs and commercial missions offered by the Government of Quebec, including those coordinated by Québec International and Investissement Québec to build international experience and sector connections.

The company also uses ATA Carnets to simplify the temporary cross-border transport of samples and demo equipment.

Building on its first season in France and access to a strong TCS network, Ferreol plans to explore other Alpine markets, including Switzerland, Austria, Germany, and Italy, while continuing early discussions in China and Japan.

As of 2026, the company maintains a team of ten employees.  For a lean, technical team, access to on-the-ground market knowledge through the TCS helped reduce trial and error and allowed them to focus limited time and resources on the right opportunities.

Jonathan’s advice to other entrepreneurs: “You don’t have to do everything on your own, having the right guidance early makes a real difference.”

Looking to diversify your exports? The Trade Commissioner Service (TCS) helps Canadian companies of all sizes succeed in international markets through export advisory services, funding, accelerator programs, and tailored support at trade missions and events.

A solid diversification strategy can help you build long-term stability and global success. You can expand your client base and navigate challenges such as:

• unexpected changes in market access
• exchange-rate fluctuations
• shifts in foreign-government policies.