How Do We Decide What to Make Next?

It’s exciting when a new Team Wendy product hits the marketplace. Last year alone we released the EXFIL^® All Terrain Mandible, EXFIL^® Ballistic Mandible, the CloudLine™ System and the Team Wendy Radio Rig, amongst many other accessories.
 
We kicked off the year prior by dropping the EXFIL^® Ballistic SL and sprinkled accessory releases throughout.
 
But have you ever wondered how we determine what comes next?
 
First and foremost, we’re driven by the needs of our customers. Sometimes their needs require an entirely new product and other times an existing product just needs to be tweaked. Remember, needs change over time and so our products must do the same.
 
We routinely communicate with operators in the military, law enforcement, search and rescue, and adventure sports communities. None of them have any qualms about telling us what they need. We’re grateful for that. If they need something to protect against a certain type of injury, they tell us. They’ll also let us know about more practical requests, such as a product to address a compatibility gap. That’s how the EXFIL^® Adapter for the Ops-Core AMP™ Communication Headset was born.
 
Conversations with FEMA led to the first-ever purpose-built search and rescue helmet to provide tactical mounting capabilities. Team Wendy introduced the EXFIL^® SAR in 2015 after learning FEMA members used several different helmets depending on environmental situations. We created a product that met several safety standards while incorporating a host of accessories we knew they depended on. Simply put, we combined their needs into a single helmet, which is listed on the FEMA Cache List.
 
Other teams, including some of the largest fire departments in the country, have also rallied around the concept of the Team Wendy search and rescue helmet:

• New York Fire Department (NYFD)
• Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD)
• Philadelphia Fire Department
• Dallas Fire Department
• Boston Fire Department
• Charlotte Fire Department
• Orange County Fire Department
• Oakland Fire Department
• San Diego Fire Department
• Sacramento Fire Department
• San Antonio Fire Department
• Denver Fire Department

Meanwhile, we’re always at work in the lab perfecting new technologies that could impact products across the board. The research and development phase can last a long time because we hold ourselves to high standards – both internally and externally. We plan far ahead so that a real game changer, such as a new foam formulation, is not rushed.
 
Ultimately, products need to be just right to meet rigorous performance standards.
 
We’re currently researching ways to incorporate sensor systems into helmets. It’s one of many long-term projects we’re working on that may not debut for several years. It is endeavors like these, however, that ensure Team Wendy stays ahead of the curve.
 
Our passion never rests. Yet another reason to feel secure putting your trust in Team Wendy.