Helmet category growth helps Bern

Several retailers have told us Bern helmets are selling well. We checked in with Bern founder Dennis Leedom to find out more about the small but growing helmet company, which targets snowboarders, skaters, wakeboarders and bicyclists.

How is business these days? Are sales up, down, by how much?

Good. Sales are up and the market continues to grow. Bern is growing about two or three times faster than the market.

How long has Bern been around? Where are you based and how many employees do you have?

Bern has been around since July of 2004, and is based out of Duxbury, Massachusetts, which is 35 miles south of Boston on the coast. The company stated in an 800-square-foot barn, which we moved out of in May of 2009. Today we have seven to 10 employees in the office depending on what’s going on and three people managing delivery in the warehouse.

Bern founder Dennis Leedom (tan shorts) in China.

How big is the brand today?

Bern has earned itself the identity as being an A+, and leading brand in action sports head protection.

We’re working with a lot of the most respected specialty dealers through out the U.S. and world, but we still have a long list of dealers we’re still looking forward to cracking into.

Besides helmets, what other categories does Bern make?

Hats, hoodies, Ts, skate and bike pads, and audio ear buds and DJ headphones.

Why do you think helmet sales have picked up so much in the last few years?

Awareness of the consequences of concussions, riders and skaters taking more chances, and most of all the style, fit and feel of today’s head protection on the market.

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