Yanqing welcomes Rossignol
As one of the sites of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, the capital’s Yanqing district has opened its arms to French winter sports brand Rossignol Group to help fuel the development of ice and snow sports.
The cooperation was announced on Thursday at Badaling Hotel in Yanqing district, where Rossignol will open an operational base this year. Headquarters will be located in Zhongguan Yanqing Science Park.
The agreement also includes creating a Rossignol Experience Center in the future ski hall of Yanqing Ski Resort, and a Rossignol Ski Academy.
“We are very honored Rossignol has finally chosen to establish its Chinese headquarters in Yanqing,” said Yu Bo, governor of Yanqing district.
“As a major site for the next winter Olympic Games that will host the alpine downhill event, we are delighted to have Rossignol partnering with us.
“We are going to be deeply involved in the development of winter sports in China and we are very happy about Rossignol helping us in this venture. We will obviously do our very best to ensure Rossignol an efficient operating base between Beijing city and the mountains.”
Bruno Cercley, president and CEO of the Rossignol Group, echoed that sentiment, adding: “We are delighted to make this agreement official with the Yanqing district government, following serious discussions over the past few months.
“This new location is an obvious, natural choice since it is the strategic gateway to the mountains and close to Beijing. From the beginning we have built trust, as well as a genuine desire to develop a strong relationship and long-term partnership.
“We are confident that with this partnership, along with our experience and expertise, Rossignol will become an iconic brand in the minds of Chinese consumers, just like elsewhere around the world. In the months and years to come, we have a lot to accomplish together.”
Rossignol’s global headquarters is located in the French Alps near Grenoble and the Group has five industrial sites in Western Europe — three in France, one in Spain and one in Italy. Its American headquarters is in Park City, Utah.
“When China bid for the 2022 Olympics it projected that 300 million people would be participating in winter sports, meaning the country will soon become the world’s largest market for winter sports,” said Hugo Shong, founding chairman of IDG Capital, which has over 20 percent ownership in the Rossignol Group.
“Beijing is the only city in the world to host both a Winter and Summer Olympics, and IDG Capital is committed to helping Rossignol promote its products in China and improve the quality of life.”