IRCOS was a company based in Chepy, France. It was founded in 1999 as a management buyout of SRAM's French factories. IRCOS also acquired Stronglight, possibly also in 1999.

This was but one step in a long and tragic chain. SRAM had acquired its French factories when it bought Sachs' cycle component business. Sachs had acquired some of them when it acquired Huret, which had factories in Chepy.

IRCOS initially supplied SRAM with components, including Sachs designed derailleurs branded as SRAM. However, in 2000, less than a year after its founding, IRCOS was already in financial trouble and formally declared that it was 'technically bankrupt'. In 2001 SRAM terminated its contract with IRCOS. It appears that IRCOS was unable to reliably supply the quantities of components required to meet its contractual obligations.

SRAM would be shocked, shocked! if you were to even imply that this turn of events just happened to play into their hands, allowing them to concentrate on manufacturing derailleurs in their shiny, new, highly efficient, factory in China with its tame labour unions.

After SRAM had cut it loose, IRCOS appears to have tried to sell its derailleurs under both the Stronglight and IRCOS brands. This did not last too long and the company went fully bankrupt before the end of 2001.

The Stronglight operation was bought by Zéfal and the rest of the corpse of IRCOS was reincarnated as a new company called MARS. It will come as no surprise to you to learn that MARS went out of business as early as 2002.