Bolingbrook, Illinois-based supplier S&S Activewear (PPAI 256121, S12) has acquired Technosport Canada (PPAI 440365). The acquisition, first reported Wednesday in a PPB Newslink Breaking News alert, is S&S Activewear’s third acquisition since 2010.
Over the past 10 years, S&S Activewear has grown from a single location to a nationwide operation with more than 1,800 employees and more than 3.5 million square feet of warehouse space in six distribution centers across the United States.
Technosport, a family-owned business established in the 1970s, has built a powerful reputation and recognizable brand across Canada’s wholesale apparel industry. Now, with S&S’s support, the company will be able to provide a larger product offering to Canadian customers.
“We identified Technosport as an opportunity to expand across the border,” says Frank Myers, S&S’s chief operating and financial officer. “We’re excited to inherit such a talented team and look forward to building on the success they’ve already achieved.”
The companies have a great affinity for one another. Both are national apparel suppliers that have built their reputation through a positive company culture, retail brand focus, and the development of relationships with employees, vendors, customers and their communities.
There are also clear parallels in the growth of the companies over the years. Technosport was acquired by the Beauchamp family in 2002, and since then it has developed into a leader in Canada’s wholesale apparel industry. It is reportedly the only national industry supplier with a physical presence across all of Canada, with headquarters in Montreal and distribution centers in Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Ontario and Quebec.
“We’ve been friends with the S&S team for a very long time, and chose them for this partnership because, like us, they are a family-owned business with the same company values,” says Luc Beauchamp, president of Technosport. “Our employees and our customers have always been our No. 1 priority—they are like family, and we’re confident that this new relationship is going to be a great opportunity for all of us. The Technosport leadership team will continue to operate in the business alongside S&S, and we’ll be able to offer even more retail-inspired products to our loyal customers. We’re very excited to see what the future holds.”
Myers adds, “We see a lot of ourselves in Technosport’s history, growth, and dedication to its people. We share many of the same core values and plan to carry the Technosport spirit into the new partnership.”
In a news release, S&S states it has always admired Technosport’s family-driven, retail-brand approach to the wholesale apparel industry and reports no intention of altering its course. The company plans to support Technosport’s existing model with its large brand offering and streamlined operations. Having collaborated and shared ideas for over a decade, the S&S and Technosport teams describe the acquisition as both “seamless” and “organic.” Myers says, “It’s not often you get to form a partnership with a team of close friends.”
This has been a year of major growth for S&S Activewear. In February, it relocated its West Coast operations to a new 800,000-square-foot distribution center in Reno, Nevada. In September, the company expanded its Midwest presence with a new 750,000-square-foot sustainability-focused distribution center in Lockport, Illinois.
“We’re always looking for new ways to meet customers where they are,” says Myers. “And we’re gearing up for 2020 with that same philosophy in mind.”
