Nite Ize Offers a Different Kind of Lighting

The company specializes in helping runners stay safe while running in low light.

Rick Case, founder and CEO of Nite Ize, was still a student at the University of Colorado when he started the company. On a fishing trip in 1989, Case held a new mini flashlight in his mouth to check a lure. When the flashlight splashed into the water, Case was inspired. The company’s first product, the Headband Mini Flashlight Holder, was born.

Nite Ize is celebrating the company’s 25th anniversary this year. The company now offers more than 400 innovative products and accessories. Well-known in the outdoor specialty retail channel, Nite Ize has created a collection of LED accessories to keep runners safe after dark. This time of year, daylight is in short supply and a runner’s need for visibility increases significantly.

While many runners are familiar with headlamps, Nite Ize is introducing an alternative.

“We are brighter than last year, we are smaller than last year and our run times our longer than last year,” says Todd Brady, the active lifestyle manager at Nite Ize Inc. “We offer something different with our swipe to light technology.”

In 2012, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported 4,743 pedestrians were killed and an estimated 76,000 were injured in traffic crashes in the United States. On average, a pedestrian was killed every two hours and injured every seven minutes in traffic crashes. Seventy percent of fatalities occurred during nighttime hours. Addressing the need, Nite Ize is approaching running specialty retailers with innovative, affordably priced lighting products.

“Retailers see us as an alternative for this market. They are seeing products they haven’t seen before,” says Brady.

The Nite Ize LED Marker Band is designed for early morning or nighttime runners to be seen in the dark. The Marker Band is a thin polymer strip encased in nylon fabric, with a reflective pattern for extra visibility. The ShoeLite is a bright white LED in a water-resistant casing backed by a stainless steel locking gate that attaches securely to shoe laces.

RELATED: 7 Safety Tips For Running In The Dark

Nite Ize is supporting running specialty retailers with a preset planogram of best selling products to help them merchandise and sell the line. Samples for customers will also be provided.

As the official headlamp of the Ragnar Race Series, Nite Ize will use the event to increase awareness and offer opportunities to sample products. In the Ragnar Relay, Series, teams cover a 200-mile relay course over two days and one night. “People are participating in nighttime relay races that require headlamps and safety vests. The Ragnar Series is where we can really demonstrate the product,” says Matt Smoot, the Nite Ize marketing and event specialist. “Presenting our product works best when the consumer can test and see the product in action.”

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