Xenith prides itself on safety. That’s why the company only sells five-star-rated football helmets.
Now, in an effort to increase awareness on football helmet safety, Xenith has partnered with Dick’s Sporting Goods to create an interactive display for customers. This includes a transparent helmet that allows them to see all the components of the helmet. Next to the helmet display is a sign that breaks down those components, including its adaptive fit technology, energy control layer, linear impact reduction, and rotational impact reduction and how they protect the head.
On the display are also two QR codes customers can scan. One takes them to the Xenith website and the other takes them to the Virginia Tech helmet rating website, which explains how helmets are rated and provides more information on what they should be looking for when making a purchase.
“We got probably one of the smartest engineers in the country who really works hard along with his team to make sure we’re constantly in the top tier of ratings,” Xenith CEO Tony Saunders said. “It’s a core value of who we are because we do everything we can to make sure we keep the athlete first.”
In total, there are seven Dick’s Sporting Goods locations in Michigan with the displays: both Novi locations, Okemos, Bloomfield, Portage, Mount Pleasant and Canton. In addition to providing education, the display also helps the brand reach more customers.
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Xenith is based in Detroit and was founded in 2008. The company has built a strong online presence over the years but sees the displays as an opportunity to get in front of customers and get their feedback in real time. Saunders said listening to the concerns of parents has been a priority.
“They (the parents) don’t really get talked about as much as they should,” Saunders said. “I got three kids and the amount of commitment it takes to have your kid involved in youth sports is a lot.”
While parents certainly play a key role in the decision to play contact sports, Xenith officials said they’re also keeping the athletes who wear their products in mind. They have plans to launch a podcast on mental health led by licensed professionals who focus on youth sports. Plus, there are also plans for new product launches in the near future.
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“We have some really amazing products that will come to fruition,” Saunders said. “We have a brand-new helmet coming out next year and we have a helmet coming out the following year that was from an NFL grant that we’re launching. We got a new shoulder pad we’re gonna be launching next year as well, so our product pipeline is really exciting.”
As the company continues to grow, so does the opportunity to create jobs in Detroit. Saunders, who is a native of the Motor City, said he made the decision to keep the company there.
“It’s an exciting thing for me to be a part of something so close to home,” Saunders said. “It also creates a lot of fear, that in a sense you use as fuel. I kind of like the underdog story. That’s why I stayed in Detroit, and so this is that same opportunity for us. This is a big year, so it’s important that we take this seriously and learn from the opportunity that’s been put in front of us and it’s gonna make us a better business after that.”