New Financial Partners for Québec Bike Manufacturer Argon 18 as Company Prepares for its First Tour de France

Montréal, June 12, 2015 – As bike manufacturer Argon 18 is getting ready for its first Tour de France with its BORA-Argon 18 team, the Québec company is pleased to announce an influx of new capital that will help finance a major growth plan. The investors are BDC Capital and the Fonds régionaux de solidarité FTQ, whose investment follows an investment by the Fonds locaux de solidarité FTQ in 2002. Argon 18 has 35 employees in Québec, most of whom work at its Montréal head office.

“Behind each Argon 18 bike and rider on the BORA-Argon team at the Tour de France, there are Québec workers, engineers, assemblers, 3D creators and mechanics, not to mention accountants, salespeople, technicians, writers, designers, analysts, packers, and Web and social media experts. Investing in the international growth of local companies means investing in quality jobs right here at home,” said Luc Pinard, President and CEO of the Fonds régionaux de solidarité FTQ.

“This industry is extremely competitive abroad, especially in Europe, but Argon 18 has done well thanks to its excellent bikes and innovative approach. This Québec brand will be showcased again this summer when the German Bora-Argon 18 team rides up to the Tour de France start line on Argon 18 bikes. BDC Capital is proud to lead the way with financial backing for the development of Argon 18’s growth projects abroad,” continued Patrick Latour, BDC Capital Senior Vice-President, Growth and Transition Capital, Canada.

“The participation of new financial partners will help support Argon 18’s impressive growth. Given our first-time participation in the Tour de France and the unprecedented international visibility it will give our company, we have to capitalize on the momentum to solidify our leadership in the market by continuing our drive for technological innovation in bicycle design, in our marketing techniques and in managing business intelligence. We are very fortunate to have partners who understand our vision and want to help us reach new heights,” concluded Gervais Rioux, Founding President of Argon 18.

Earlier this week, the BORA-Argon 18 team confirmed its participation in the 6th edition of the Grands Prix Cyclistes de Québec et de Montréal (GPCQM). Unique UCI WorldTour events in North America, these races attract the best road cyclists in the world.

The BORA-Argon 18 team has been posting excellent results in the last few months, demonstrating that its riders are in top form as the Tour de France approaches: 1st Tour du Qatar (6th stage), 1st Giro Del Trentino (1st stage, team time trial), 1st Bayern-Rundfahrt (1st and 3rd stage), to name just a few.

About Argon 18

Since it opened its doors in a small shop in Québec City, Argon 18 has been a rapidly growing success story, designing bicycles as they should be. Today, Argon 18 bikes are available in 70 countries around the world and the company has a network of retailers right across the country. The Montréal-based manufacturer’s continued success can be explained by its unrelenting drive to innovate and offer the industry’s top performing bikes, keeping in mind every cyclist’s morphology. This is the mission that Argon 18’s founder and Olympian Gervais Rioux has infused into the Canadian company since its inception more than 25 years ago.

About BDC Capital

A subsidiary of the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), BDC Capital offers a full spectrum of specialized financing and investment solutions to help Canadian entrepreneurs achieve their full growth potential. With more than $1.6 billion under management, BDC Capital takes a strategic, patient approach to nurture companies’ development over the long term.

From venture capital and equity, to growth and transition capital, our team of over 100 experienced, local professionals partner with entrepreneurs to identify and meet their needs on flexible terms. Some of the sectors in which we specialize include IT, industrial/clean/energy technology, and healthcare. For more information, please visit www.bdccapital.ca or follow us on Twitter at @BDC_Capital.

About the Fonds régionaux de solidarité FTQ

An integral part of the Fonds de solidarité FTQ network, the Fonds régionaux de solidarité FTQ actively participate in the economic development of the regions of Québec. As of March 31, 2015, the Fonds régionaux’s portfolio comprised 382 partner companies and total investments $276.5 million, bringing the total number of jobs created, maintained or protected to more than 16,500.

For more information, please visit www.fondsreg.com.




Source The Fonds régionaux de solidarité FTQ by press release ©


Business Development Bank of Canada : Daniela Pizzuto / Telephone: (514) 496-6768 / Email: daniela.pizzuto@bdc.ca Fonds de solidarité FTQ : Patrick McQuilken / Telephone: 514 850-4835 / Mobile: 514 703-5587 / Email: pmcquilken@fondsftq.com