Born from founder Federico Olivares’s 2010 determination to protect his son after a bicycle accident, Pittsburgh-based 2nd Skull makes thin protective skull caps and headgear designed to add impact protection beneath a helmet or worn alone. Its products use lightweight XRD® material that stays flexible during play but hardens under sudden pressure, and are made in the USA after testing at independent laboratories. The company’s headgear has also been developed for industrial workplaces, extending its original sports-safety idea beyond the field.
Team WendyFounded in Cleveland in 1997 as a memorial to Wendy Moore, Team Wendy makes head-protection systems for people working in defense, law enforcement, search and rescue, and adventure settings. The company began with ski helmets before turning its attention to protective gear for those who risk their lives, and today operates as an Avon Technologies plc company with more than 900 people. Its HEADSTRONG program pairs helmet education and hands-on evaluation with live ballistic testing, giving users a direct look at how the equipment performs.CLEVELAND, OH
H.I.P. Head Impact PreventionFounded by former NFL linebacker Tim Johnson, H.I.P. Head Impact Prevention develops biomimetic helmets designed to distribute impact forces and protect the brain for soldiers, first responders and athletes. Its segmented, multi-layered design draws on structures found in ram horns, armadillo armor and woodpecker anatomy, with flexible joints that help move energy around and away from the head. The company participated in the NFL Helmet Challenge and holds a filed U.S. provisional application for its force-distribution helmet.VIENNA, OH
SAFR SportsFrom Chester Springs, Pennsylvania, SAFR Sports makes patented football helmet covers designed to reduce the force of head impacts. Its polyurethane-foam covers fit existing Riddell and Schutt helmets, can be customized with team colors and decals, and are permitted by the NFHS for practice and game use. SAFR backs the product with research including a Virginia Tech Helmet Lab study and a three-year Pennsylvania university field study, while supplying teams from youth football through the college and professional levels.CHESTER SPRINGS, PA
Hardwire, LLCFrom its Pocomoke City headquarters, Hardwire, LLC designs and manufactures protective armor for military, law enforcement, schools, infrastructure and aerospace applications. The company’s American-made ballistic systems grew from military technology and include its DHS-designated Emergency Response Shield, while its four-building campus provides more than 210,000 square feet for engineering, production and in-house testing. Hardwire has manufactured protective armor for two decades and maintains ISO 9001:2015-certified quality procedures.POCOMOKE CITY, MD