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SlideBelts is an innovative ratchet belt company based in Sacramento, California. The company is known for its patented ratchet belts for men, women, and children.

History
SlideBelts, originally Erik Blaire LLC, was founded by Brig and Michelle Taylor in 2007. Brig conceived the idea when he was given a ratchet belt as a gift by one of his students while teaching abroad in Moldova in 2004. This hole-less belt was a revelation to him and he knew that with upgraded materials and some improvements to the design, the belt could be a hit back home in the United States.

As it would turn out, the common iteration of the ratcheting buckle was already public domain. However, he found this version inefficient and counter-intuitive so he set out to design and patent his own ratchet buckle. Nine years and dozens of designs later, Brig had a patented ratchet buckle with a dual-ratchet lever.

The company has grown from a husband and wife team of two operating out of their garage to more than 30 employees as of early 2018.

Products
Although SlideBelts has a patented ratchet design for its current products, the patent took 9 years for the company to achieve. In the years before the patent was finalized and approved, SlideBelts sold four different buckle designs beginning in 2007 and ending in 2012 when the patented design was implemented.

The company’s innovative ratchet belts are available for men, women, and children and the company offers a wide range of material options: canvas, animal friendly faux leather, genuine leather, top grain leather and premium full grain leather.

SlideBelts’ most popular product, the Survival Belt, was introduced as a mainstay of the brand’s product line in September 2016. The belt’s buckle features a knife, ferrocerium fire starter, LED flashlight and bottle opener, while the rugged, element resistant Survival strap sports an internal core webbing with a durable TPU alloy protective shield.

A second version of the Survival Belt, Survival Belt 2.0, was introduced by the company in February 2018. The newest version includes a material change on the buckle’s face plate from glass-filled nylon to zinc with a matte black finish. The buckle was also updated with a safety lock for the knife when not in use.

2016
-#151, Inc 500’s Fastest Growing Private Companies

-#29, Outside Magazine’s Best Places to Work

2017
-#570, Inc 5000’s Fastest Growing Private Companies

-#9, Fortune Magazine’s Best Small Workplaces

-#10, Fortune Magazine’s Best Retail Workplaces

-#59, Outside Magazine’s Best Places to Work

-#4, Sacramento Business Journal’s Fastest Growing Companies in Sacramento

-#1, Sacramento Business Journal’s Best Places to Work in the small business category

-CEO Brig Taylor named to Sacramento Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 list

-CEO Brig Taylor given the Young Entrepreneur Award by El Dorado Hills Chamber of Commerce

Crowdfunding
The company launched its Kickstarter Survival Belt campaign on July 23, 2014. The project ended on September 20, 2014 with over $200,000 pledged from 2,099 backers. The campaign successfully funded the research and development of the Survival Belt, a heavy duty multi-use belt with a knife, fire starter, bottle opener and LED flashlight built into the buckle itself. The Survival Belt is the company’s highest grossing product since its release in September 2016.

In 2017, SlideBelts raised $1.07M on StartEngine via Regulation Crowdfunding, a provision of the JOBS Act. SlideBelts was one of the first companies to raise the $1.07M investment maximum via Regulation Crowdfunding.

National Acclaim
SlideBelts has garnered national acclaim for its ratchet belts, most notably its Survival Belt.

“Even Batman would envy a badass utility belt like this.” - Maxim

“The Survival Belt will do far more than your average leather strap.” - Uncrate

“Is it time to demand more from your belt?” - Hi Consumption

“…the one-of-a-kind ratchet belt system that gives the classic belt a well-needed, well-deserved upgrade.” - Huffington Post

Charitable Donations
As of December 2017, SlideBelts had donated over $60,000 in cash, products, or volunteering hours to a wide range of non-profit organizations, including : Charity:Water, Invisible Children, Fisher House Foundation, Foster Hope Sacramento, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Wounded Warrior Project, Albie Aware, Movember Foundation, and Direct Relief International among others.