ARTICLE
G2 Performance pivots during pandemic to provide quality masks to people across the country but isn’t stopping there! Grit, perseverance, ingenuity, and cleverness, these are just some of the words that come to mind when people hear about the hard work and dedication of the team at G2 Performance, a local Delaware small business. Hit hard by the impacts of COVID, this small business, led by founder Vaughan Sawdon, didn’t let major setbacks stand in the way of their continued success. G2 Performance makes quality marching band uniforms for programs across the country. With virtually all schools and organizations shutting down their performances, competitions, and sporting events, the need for new uniforms declined greatly. The G2 mission is to provide quality performance apparel that keeps marching athletes™ safe but is functional and attractive. Vaughan and his team recognized that things weren’t going back to normal any time soon, so they immediately got to work discovering ways that they could leverage their skills and resources to continue keeping people safe in this new environment. First, they utilized their resources to aid in the effort to get masks in the hands of as many individuals as possible. They had their team working around the clock to produce thousands of masks each day. Thanks to their tireless efforts they were able to produce over 130,000 masks that were sold to the public during a time that masks were very hard to come by. They also donated thousands of masks to organizations in need. Next, they focused on their marching band students and developed a line of covers that fit every instrument, acting as masks for the instruments themselves. Traditional masks are not made with the intention of playing instruments, so they also created specialty masks that allow musicians to continue wearing them while performing. Each mask was carefully constructed to minimize the spread of germs, without compromising the quality of the music. At G2 they have always referred to their musical customers as Marching Athletes™, because what they do requires athletic quality apparel to perform. They wanted to expand their impact by helping all athletes, so the team began designing masks for a variety of sports. They launched My Grid Iron Gear, a new company that produces elite athletic masks that fit lacrosse, football, softball, baseball, and hockey helmets for players of all ages. “We saw a trend happening where sports programs were allowing students to return to practice yet requiring them to wear masks. Across the board, students were complaining that it’s hard to play a sport while needing to adjust your mask, so we set out to fix that,” explains Vaughan. “By making masks that actually adhere to the physical mask and are adjustable to ensure they sit flush against the players face, we eliminated the need for players to have to mess with their masks during play.” The G2 team attributes their continued success as a small business to their open-minded nature and ability to think outside-of-the-box. Their number one priority has always been to provide quality apparel to those who need it by truly taking the time to understand their needs. Now they know that they can do that for anyone who needs functional, well built, and visually appealing garments. What does the future of G2 look like? They are continuing to discover ways to expand their offerings into new industries that can benefit from their proven formula. Currently, the team is working on branching out into state run programs by providing quality soft goods. The opportunities are endless for this small but mighty team, and they can’t wait to collaborate with more and more small businesses, organizations, and schools to produce creative, fun, and quality products that consumers deserve! Prepared By Samantha Conway, Owner of Clever Hawk Branding