Carpell Surfaces Inc. Announces New Ownership
Feb. 2021 | Press release
Granby, Quebec, Canada
GRANBY QUEBEC, February 1, 2021 / … Carpell Surfaces inc., a Canadian leader in the installation of synthetic sports surfaces, today announced its acquisition by two Quebec entrepreneurs, Eric Gervais and Martin Richard. The two co-shareholders acquired the business from founding President and CEO, Paul Caron.
The acquisition will enable Carpell to pursue its next phase of growth while maintaining the values that have allowed it to become an industry leader in the supply and installation of state-of-the-art synthetic turf and natural rubber coatings for sports fields, athletic tracks and playground. Over the years Carpell has established partnerships with some of the most renowned suppliers, such as Mondo S.p.A., manufacturer of prefabricated, Olympic quality, track products; Act Global, a FIFA Preferred Producer for Football Turf; and Stockmeier Urethanes, manufacturer of poured-in-place, polyurethane, track systems.
Paul Caron, who founded the company in 2001, will act as a strategic advisor to ensure a smooth transition of knowledge. The new owners will also be supported by Dominic Deslandes, current Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer and key employee of Carpell for over 11 years, who is now also a minority shareholder.
« I am proud to hand over the reins of this great company I founded more than 20 years ago to two entrepreneurs with successful track records in managing and growing SMEs », said Paul Caron. « Eric Gervais and Martin Richard have the ideal leadership skills to support Carpell's continued growth. »
Eric Gervais was Vice President of Product Management for Datavalet, a leading provider of managed WiFi solutions. He has over 15 years of experience in the tech sector, particularly in developing IT strategies. Eric will serve as President and CEO of Carpell.
Martin Richard recently partnered with sportswear conglomerate Amer Sports (owner of well-known brands such as Arcterix, Salomon, Atomic and Peak Performance) to open a flagship Peak Performance sportswear store at Carrefour Laval. Prior to that, he was a partner at Boyden, a global executive search firm and Head of Finance practice for its Montreal office. He has over 20 years of experience in business law, corporate finance, sales management and business development, and brings extensive know-how in executive consulting, strategic negotiation, project/budget (P&L) management, multi-disciplinary team management/coaching, corporate governance and executive search. Martin will act as Carpell's Chief Revenue Officer.
« We are confident that by combining our unique skills with the proven strengths of the outstanding team currently in place, Carpell will be perfectly positioned for continued growth », said Éric Gervais.
The acquisition was finalized with the support of financial partners Desjardins Entreprises (Alain Bellemare), Desjardins Capital (Martin Champagne) and Investissement Québec (Julie Chaussé). The Centre de Transfert d'Entreprise du Québec (Charles-André, Alain Saint-Jacques) also played a key role in the transaction.