Alain Desmeules comes from Chicoutimi-Nord and studied marketing and engineering. A big fan of the outdoors and winter camping, he moved to Montreal in his 20s to work in the construction industry. (Photo: Trium Media)
Originally intended for workers who were often exposed to extreme cold, heated clothing designed by a native of Saguenay grew in popularity. More and more outdoor enthusiasts are also buying them, says Alain Desmeules, founder of the Ewool company.
“Snowmobilers, hunters or skiers, for example, are looking for a professional product that really provides warmth. And so does the general public, because many people hate the cold. For some it’s hell. We’re used to the cold in Saguenay, but it’s not like that everywhere. Heated clothing changes the lives of many people. Everyone will have them in the near future. »
According to Alain Desmeules, there is nothing else like it on the market.
His company developed its first product in 2018 after 3 years of research. This is a heated jacket with backup batteries that provide up to 14 hours of uninterrupted warmth. The Montreal company now also offers heated undergloves and heated stocking covers.
“What is available at good prices are gadgets. It doesn’t really heat up and that’s disappointing. Everything is tiny, including the battery and heating elements. We, the price is not the same, but we specialize in everything that makes up the intermediate layers. We’re not in fashion. We do useful things. It is black, fits close to the body and is very thin. »
Trip
Alain Desmeules comes from Chicoutimi-Nord and studied marketing and engineering. A big fan of the outdoors and winter camping, he moved to Montreal in his 20s to work in the construction industry.
After selling the family business he worked at, he went back to school to pursue an apprenticeship in technical clothing design and then founded his company in 2015.
He says he took a similar path to chlorophyll, having made several trips to the Arctic to test his products before commercializing them.
Today, Ewool sells primarily in Quebec and is slowly gaining traction in other Canadian provinces, as well as in the United States and Europe. The SME also sells heated clothing manufacturing licenses to other companies, including Chlorophylle.
Nirvana of consolation
Next fall, Ewool will offer a new product that, according to its founder, will be the nirvana of comfort. It will be a fleece sweater that will have completely invisible heating technology in the collar and sleeves.
“It’s a revolution. We’ve made the red button that lights up near the neck disappear and it’s a vibration that works. You can operate it, but you can’t see it. The activation button is hidden and the same technology is used in the phones when they vibrate. The battery used will be the most compact in the world. We are launching a garment that not only warms the body and neck, but also the arms. »