elements early on was the sponsorship of USA Triathlon and sponsorship of the U.S. Postal Team and other high-profile national teams.
USAT: Rudy Project at first focused only on eyewear. How has the product line expanded over the years?
PC: We got a request from Miguel Indurain to create a time trial cap —not a helmet; a cap. When we realized there was a lot of interest in our time trial cap, we formalized the process. We started really getting into helmets in the late 90s. Around 2000, we formally launched our official helmet in the United States, the T-Rex.
In our early days, we had the styling of the helmets down, but they were heavy, frumpy. Right now, we have six great helmets in our collection, and we have one of the fastest time trial helmets in the world with the Wingspan. The whole genesis was what do cyclists and triathletes want? Awesome eye protection and head protection. We’ve layered in a clothing line, and we have bags — everything from hydration bags to backpacks to sport duffels to transition bags.
USAT: In the process of finding products people want to use, what kind of technology has Rudy Project embraced?
PC: That’s a loaded question. Our tagline is “Technically Cool Eyewear” or “Technically Cool Gear,” and that has really been the vein through all of our projects. One of our mottos is to have technology that solves problems. One core feature that transcends the Rudy Project eyewear line is adjustability in the nose piece and the temple. We’ve always prided ourselves on having sunglasses that fit the broadest array of people, and we call it fit factors — we have some of the highest in the industry. That has been part of the success of Rudy Project.
As far as helmets, we were one of the first to employ a removable, washable bug net. How many triathletes on training rides have been stung by bees? Other technologies like rebar provide more stability and safety in a crash. Everything has been thought through from the perspective of the athlete.
USAT: What makes Rudy Project stand out above other companies that have a similar product line?
PC: We stand behind our product, we listen to our customers and we’re a family company. We’re more concerned with making customers happy than we are with making gobs of money. We anticipate what could be a concern, and then we ask questions of our athletes to give us input. Listening is a key component. And with 60 distributors around the world, we’re always searching for new ideas and new materials.
USAT: How do you connect to new athletes who haven’t heard of Rudy Project?
Rudy Project North America President and Co-Founder Paul Craig takes a break during a ride with a co-worker and his wife, who snapped this shot.
PC: One of the questions we ask is how we can grow the brand in an authentic way. We use our athletes as ambassadors. I love going to events and seeing athletes working together to adjust equipment and sharing their knowledge and love of the brand. That’s something that you can’t buy and you can’t pay for. Sponsorships with organizations are another avenue, and that’s why we’ve broadened our approach to include sports like Frisbee and field hockey.
USAT: When Rudy Project North America was founded, you ran it out of your home. How has the company grown over the years?
PC: When we started, we had about five or six employees, and now we’re up to 25. We try to stay lean, mean and flat. People are empowered, if they see an opportunity, to take action immediately. If there’s an opportunity today, we can be working on it tomorrow and there doesn’t have to be committees, reviews or layers of management. If it’s a good idea and it’s in line with our mission statement so that it helps athletes out, we’ll do it.
USAT: How does the staff get involved in testing or creation processes? Do they use those products in their free time?
PC: Something we have instituted in the company is that we want people to try new sports that they haven’t done before. Every time we get new products in, we put them out on display for people to play with, to interact with, and we get great feedback.
I try to make sure as much as I can that in a busy work day, we don’t forget the fun. Fun can mean a lot of different things for different people, but it’s something that in trying to build a culture for a company, you want people to believe in your product and have fun coming to work.
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