Jean-René Lavigueur leads a Quebec City workshop where production schedules run until March to supply custom equipment bags and skate blades to the Montreal Canadiens and other major professional sports teams, TVA Nouvelles reported.
Operating out of a former Canadian Army munitions factory on Vincent-Massey Street, JRZ Global Sports generates roughly 65 percent of its revenue from manufacturing custom transport bags for elite hockey and baseball franchises, including the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves.
Lavigueur founded the enterprise in 1993 at age 16 in his father’s basement, initially repairing hockey gear before shifting focus. The company’s annual revenue hovers near $5 million, with 55 percent of that total generated in the United States.
The 18,000-square-foot facility employs nearly 30 workers who produce more than 250 distinct bag models by hand. Experienced seamstresses use durable materials to stitch team logos and colors onto heavy-duty carriers designed to withstand the daily travel demands of professional athletes.
“Ma plus grande fierté, c’est la notoriété de mes clients,” Lavigueur told TVA Nouvelles.
Some American teams spend up to $20,000 extra to secure the custom luggage. Because demand outpaces current capacity, clients must place orders six months in advance to guarantee delivery.
Despite steady demand from major league franchises, staffing constraints restrict output at the Quebec City plant. Lavigueur said that hiring eight to ten additional workers would allow the business to double its sales volume.
“Honnêtement, on a un beau problème,” Lavigueur told TVA Nouvelles. “Ma cédule de production est remplie jusqu’au mois de mars. J’ai facilement de la demande pour multiplier par deux ce que je fais, mais je n’ai pas la main-d’œuvre.”
Immigration policy shifts have compounded the hiring challenge. The company lost six out of ten temporary foreign workers following stricter federal rules, and two additional employees are scheduled to leave in January. To sustain operations, management relies on alternative immigration programs to recruit replacement personnel.
Beyond luggage manufacturing, JRZ produces replacement skate steel for National Hockey League organizations. Professional players typically maintain between 15 and 18 pairs of ready-to-use blades to eliminate the need for travel equipment managers to carry heavy sharpening machines on the road.
“Les équipes ne transportent plus de machines à aiguiser sur la route,” Lavigueur told TVA Nouvelles. “Elles amènent des coffres pleins de lames. Un joueur professionnel, c’est entre 15 et 18 paires de lames qui sont constamment prêtes.”
During the outlet’s factory visit, staff prepared shipments for Philadelphia, St. Louis, Detroit, Edmonton, Washington, and Montreal, including specific runner sets for Montreal Canadiens skaters Juraj Slafkovsky and Lane Hutson. Once delivered, team equipment managers handle final profiling and sharpening based on individual player preferences.
The small-to-medium enterprise invested more than a million dollars last year in new machinery and plans to inject an additional sum in upcoming months to expand manufacturing capacity. Lavigueur held sole ownership until 2022, when he transferred a portion of company shares to employees to establish a long-term succession plan, though he retains a majority stake.
Two employees are scheduled to leave their positions in January as the company works to renew its workforce through alternative immigration programs.
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