New Products @ Paddle Expo 2013 – NRS to Acquire WRSI Safety Helmets
NRS to Acquire WRSI Safety Helmets
NRS, leading manufacturer and distributor of innovative, rugged paddling gear and high-performance inflatable watercrafts, has agreed to acquire WRSI safety helmets. The new relationship will improve availability, shipping times and pricing of WRSI helmets in Europe.
“NRS has been following the WRSI mission since Gil Turner first envisioned and then pioneered a safer, better helmet for the paddling industry,” states Bryan Dingel, NRS Vice President. “NRS was one of the original supporters of the new helmet company, and we’re excited to now have a larger role in WRSI’s future growth and expansion.”
One of WRSI’s original goals was to build the safest helmet possible at a price point that the general public could afford. This goal aligns with NRS’s current product line-up, and with the company’s established distribution network. NRS will maintain the current WRSI distribution program for Europe while also offering the helmets alongside their own product line.Further improving distribution for WRSI, U.S.-based NRS plans to warehouse the helmets in the company’s new European distribution center. This will allow NRS to ship the helmets directly to stockists throughout Europe. Stockists will receive WRSI products quickly and hassle-free with no additional shipping costs or duties, keeping prices competitive and margins strong.
« I am proud of what WRSI has done to help change the paradigm on whitewater helmets. NRS is an ideal partner to help WRSI to continue to expand that legacy. Our customers, retailers and friends will all benefit from a more efficient supply chain and NRS’s deep commitment to whitewater and river recreation,” explains Nick Turner, President at WRSI. “NRS has likely done more to make whitewater accessible and enjoyable to the public than any company in history, and WRSI is proud to be part of that legacy.”
NRS is a leading manufacturer and distributor of high-performance inflatable boats and SUP Boards, and of rugged, innovative apparel and accessories for anyone seeking adventure on the water. Founded 1972 as Northwest River Supplies, NRS has become a major force in the outdoor industry, inspiring and equipping countless paddlers in the U.S. and around the world.
About WRSI:
The WRSI mission is to improve recreation safety and save lives by disseminating knowledge and improving equipment. Working with Johns Hopkins University, WRSI has developed the safest whitewater helmets on the market while making them available at prices affordable to the average paddler.
This serie of articles, called “NEW @ PADDLEexpo 2013” and produced by KS Publishing (publishers of Kayak Session, Paddle World and Sup World magazine, showcases the new products for 2014 to be exposed at the PADDLEexpo show taking place in Nuremberg, Germany on October 2nd, 3rd and 4th. PADDLEexpo is the world’s largest paddlesport-specific trade show (‘trade show’ meaning entrance is reserved for professionals) highlighting what the general public will find on shelves and in stores in 2014. It includes everything from kayaks and canoes to stand-up paddle boards and inflatables, with the apparel and accessories needed for it all. See the product and meet the manufacturer at PADDLEexpo 2013 in Nuremberg > www.paddleexpo.com