Business
Innovative Sports Equipment Produced in Peachtree Corners
A Peachtree Corners company designs and manufactures sporting equipment worn by youth and high school football teams and college teams — and most recently, mandated by the NFL.
Guardian Innovations was formed in 2011 by Erin and Lee Hanson, along with other family members and dedicated employees. It was created as a sister company to their material science company, The Hanson Group.
Their flagship product is the Guardian Cap, created to advance the standard football helmet by dispersing some of the energy that is generated during impacts. Erin and Lee engineered, patented and manufacture the Guardian Cap, a lightweight, external soft cover that fits on existing football helmets.
Caps start to catch on
Several years ago, the company started selling Guardian Caps to youth football teams. The one-size-fits-all helmet covers drew the attention of several notable football players. NFL running back Jerome Bettis, best known for his performances as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, purchased the caps for the Milton Steelers of Milton, Ga., along with the late Tim Lester, former full-back and friend of Bettis.
“They wouldn’t let the team play without Guardian Caps,” said Jake Hanson, director of strategy and operations at Guardian and a Wesleyan and Georgia Institute of Technology graduate.
The musician Snoop Dog donated 2,000 caps to underprivileged youth playing in his California youth league. Little by little, the helmet covers started to be worn by more youth teams and then high school and college teams. Clemson University has worn Guardian Caps in practices for the past 11 seasons.
When quarterback Matthew Stafford suffered an injury to his hand, coach Sean McVay required the caps be worn to protect Stafford’s throwing hand. Guardian Caps were really catching on.
Reporters started writing articles, “What’s with the padded helmet caps the 49ers are wearing at training camp?”
In 2022, after independent testing by NFL-appointed engineers, the NFL mandated the covers be worn during training camp practices. As a result, the NFL observed more than a 50% reduction in concussions, compared to a prior three-year average of those position groups mandated.
The 2022 preseason was the first time players from all 32 NFL teams wore the Guardian Cap. All offensive linemen, defensive linemen, tight ends and linebackers were required to wear the padded shell on their helmets in practices until the second preseason game, according to NFL.com.
Expanding on a good idea
The Hansons were teased at first. People said they were trying to put bubble wrap on football players. “You’re laughed at and considered crazy…until you’re not,” Lee Hanson said. Many players didn’t want the game to look different, even though they agreed that better outcomes were needed.
The Guardian Cap is only one of many products engineered and produced by the company — all with the common theme of improving equipment for athletes. After the success of the Guardian Cap, the Hansons turned their efforts to lacrosse.
Jake was a lacrosse goalie for Georgia Tech, putting him at the end of the firing range for lacrosse balls. They knew they could do better than the hard, rubber balls made in Asia that would get harder and go out of spec over time.
In lacrosse, an older ball that has become extremely hard and lost all grip is referred to as “a greaser.” Guardian’s answer was the PEARL ball, manufactured in their Peachtree Corners facility and made completely out of a urethane that doesn’t change over time. Guardian Innovations is the only lacrosse ball manufacturer in the U.S., and their PEARL is now used by 13 out of the top 20 NCAA D-1 Men’s Teams.
The company also manufactures a turf infill product called Guardian Bio-Based TPE Infill made of corn and soy. It is natural and keeps fields up to 28 degrees cooler. Unlike other infill products, Guardian BioBase doesn’t emit toxins when hot.
The Hansons seem to enjoy solving problems in the sports realm. The local family has 25+ years of experience operating the sister material science company, The Hanson Group. It has operated out of its Adriatic Court location since 2014. The company now occupies 90,000 square feet over eight acres and has 34 employees.
Peachtree Corners Business Association Speaker Series Panel Discuss Issues from AI to Leadership and Staffing
After 30 minutes of networking, light refreshments and ‘death by chocolate’ brownies courtesy of Marlow’s Tavern, the Peachtree Corners Business Association (PCBA) After Hours Speaker Series Panel commenced.
This panel of local business owners and consultants gathered at the Hilton Atlanta Northeast on Thursday, Oct. 26, to discuss strategies and opportunities for business success in 2024 and beyond.
Moderator Amanda Pearch Marmolejo, owner and President of Forsyth Business Radio X, kicked things off by introducing the panel participants, which included:
- Gentry Ganote, the CEO of Rojoli Services, Inc.;
- Lisa Anders, the Executive Director for Explore Gwinnett;
- Michael Pugh, an attorney at the law firm of Thompson O’Brien Kappler & Nasuti;
- Bill McDermott, “The Profitability Coach” and
- Rico Figliolini, the founder of Mighty Rockets and Publisher of Peachtree Corners Magazine
1. The importance of cybersecurity for businesses
Cybersecurity remains a top concern for small and medium-sized businesses. In fact, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center’s (ITRC) recently published Business Impact Report, 73% of 551 surveyed small business owners encountered a cyberattack this year.
As the leader of technology solutions provider Rijoli, Gentry Ganote knows first-hand where businesses are the most vulnerable.
“What we’re seeing is phishing attacks are really the number one nefarious act that’s going on that we deal with on a daily basis. We provide security services for our customers, and we have spam filters and email filters and all kinds of artificial intelligence,” said Ganote.
“But emails still get through, texts get through and people become susceptible to clicking on a link, putting their password in, changing bank records, giving money to the wrong people, and we see it every day,” he added.
“If any of you guys hire interns, you should educate them quickly about scams that are out there. They don’t know they’re new to the workforce,” Ganote explained emphatically.
2. Business succession and exit strategies
As some business owners head toward retirement or strive to preserve their legacy for future generations, transitioning both management and ownership is paramount.
As “The Profitability Coach,” Bill McDermott has consulted many business owners on best executing their succession strategies.
“The particular work for a business owner is number one, identifying that there’s value that can be transferred either to that seller, to the management team or to the outside buyer,” said McDermott.
“Secondly, there’s a growth plan that’s required. Typically, there’s a letter of intent or confidentiality agreement. There are asset purchase agreements, there are representations and warranties, and having an attorney is absolutely critical,” he further explained.
“Selling a business in some ways is also selling real estate, except the numbers are bigger. So, it takes a business broker … it’s a complex transaction, and there are a lot of moving parts, and there are a lot of important people that are part of that,” he added.
3. Leadership, training and staffing
Industries like hospitality are innovating through adversity, developing new training programs to address service staffing shortages exacerbated by the pandemic and aiming to empower front-line employees through direct and tailored instruction.
Lisa Anders, the Executive Director for Explore Gwinnett, Gwinnett County’s official tourism organization, shared her challenges and solutions in this area.
“We have a lot of research and a lot of conversations with our hotels and our other hospitality departments on the very frontline; the very front desk is the problem. People are under-trained and under motivated. It is just a problem,” she added.
Yet, Explore Gwinnett is taking positive steps forward with its training efforts.
“We’re instituting a new training program. We’re going to be going into every single hotel district … going directly into those hotel districts and doing training one-on-one with our hotel partners and with frontline employees. Our hotels are super excited because it’s not just customer service, it is learning how to de-escalate situations,” Anders explained.
4. Content creation and podcasting
Podcasts have emerged as a powerful tool for storytelling and marketing. Drawing inspiration from a family history in journalism, McDermott leveraged the power of narrative to create a successful podcast that not only celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit but also serves as a cornerstone in his marketing strategy.
“Marketing is the number one weakness in any broken firm,” McDermott said.
“I started a show, we just celebrated our 50th episode, and I was able to tell stories of business owners and professionals that advise them. Three years forward now, my podcast has become actually the linchpin in my marketing strategy. It is the number one thing that I do,” he went on.
“Podcasting is actually a great way to get to know and trust people and a lot of my guests have now become clients,” McDermott added.
Rico Figliolini, the founder of creative services company Mighty Rockets, echoed this sentiment.
“It’s a great way to soft open a prospect. … If you want to get a lead prospect in your industry, you should become that authority of that industry,” said Figliolini.
5. Artificial intelligence and technology
Increasing efficiency while maintaining the human element using AI applications is at the forefront of business strategy heading into 2024.
The legal realm is catching up with AI’s transformative impact. Tools that once seemed futuristic are becoming standard, reshaping how legal professionals approach their work while maintaining the essential human touch through client interactions.
Michael Pugh, an attorney at the law firm of Thompson O’Brien, is witnessing this transition first-hand.
“The legal industry is just starting to incorporate AI … There’s one program called LexisNexis where I can write a legal breach and upload it to Lexis, and it’ll check my cases. It’ll suggest other cases to incorporate; it’ll analyze my arguments and tell me what percentage I’m likely to succeed,” Pugh explained.
“That’s a bit scary, but sometimes it’s pretty cool. So, we’re definitely going to be using more AI, but at the same time, people want to see who they’re working with face-to-face. So, we do meet regularly with our clients,” he added.
The next PCBA Business After Hours Speaker Series will be held on Nov. 16, 2023, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Kathryn Stewart, owner of Performance Trucking, will discuss how she carved out her path as a female executive in a male-dominated industry.
Insight Sourcing, a North American consulting firm focused exclusively on strategic sourcing and procurement-related services, is marking 21 years of client commitment with a brand refresh.
The firm has updated its visual identity with a new icon and font and is dropping “Group” from its brand name, previously Insight Sourcing Group.
The decision to refresh the brand underscores Insight Sourcing’s dedication to the procurement and sourcing domain.
“Since day one, Insight Sourcing has remained innovative, agile and always ready to leverage market intelligence, and digital assets to meet the ambitious goals of our clients,” said Tom Beaty, CEO of Insight Sourcing.
“We never rest in our pursuit of excellence, and neither should our brand. It reflects our deep appreciation for our past as well as the dynamic nature of our future,” he added.
It’s important to note that this refresh signifies a renewed pledge to clients and their needs. It does not signify a change of ownership or operating structure.
For further details about Insight Sourcing, visit the organization’s website at www.insightsourcing.com.
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