By the Numbers - 2019 Edition
1 – Banks Demolished to expand parking at our Atlanta facility.
The bank adjacent to our location in Atlanta had sat vacant for long enough. So, we tore it down to make more room for customers coming to visit our Gear Experts or attend training using our indoor training towers.
6% - Of companies recognized by Inc. Magazine as Best Places to Work in America.
Thousands of companies were in the running and we were just one of about 300Â recognized as one of the Best Workplaces in America in 2019. To congratulate our team we kicked off a month of employee appreciation with a breakfast cookout where we served up 16 pounds of bacon, sausage, eggs, and more!
8 – Months operating in Dallas before an expansion was required.
We officially opened our 3rd location in Coppell, TX early in 2019 but it didn’t take long before we needed more room to guarantee timely service and quick shipments. We acquired the space next to ours, knocked down a few walls, and doubled our warehouse space so we can hold more inventory, prepare more kits, and better serve you!
13 - Hours played in a charity softball tournament.
Our Gear Experts donned our trusty orange and black and threw out the first pitch around 7 pm on a Friday. Then they played through the night, finishing their bracket at 9 am on Saturday morning. This included a 2-hour rain delay which brought the home runs to a halt from 1 to 3 am.
21 – Trade shows attended.
NATE Unite, STAC, Wireless West and more. We attended more trade shows and conferences than ever. We even hopped the pond to be at A+A, the world's largest safety conference!
23 - Number of open positions
We’re growing faster than ever. Bringing on more support just means we’re even more able to find solutions to keep workers safe and productive. This number continues to go up, as well! If you’re looking to join America’s Best Workplace, visit gme.com/careers and get the ball rolling!
46 – Number of states standard shipping can reach within 2 business days.
Blanketing the US with logistical expertise, we’re able to get you the gear you need faster than ever. Our standard ground shipping can reach 46 states, meaning we can also save you money without requiring expedited shipping!
48 - % of staff growth.
While we have 23 positions currently open, we also nearly doubled our workforce in 2019. Opening new locations, bringing on additional support in every department, and recognizing opportunities to better our service to our customers was the name of the game this year, and we don’t anticipate a slow down next year, either.
78 – The number of countries shipped to.
While we are North America’s Premier Outfitter, that doesn’t mean our expertise stops on a single continent. Safety doesn’t know geography so we have to make sure we can get gear around the world and we did that at a record clip this year.
99.8 - Inventory in-stock service level percentage.
This is a fancy term for… “Do you have this in stock?†Luckily for our customers, the answer to that question was, “of course†nearly every time (99.8% to be exact) they asked.
118 – The numbers of pizzas eaten by the World Pizza Project.
The World Pizza Project is comprised of the majority of our marketing department with the mission to try and rate every pizza on planet Earth. With metrics like PPI (Price Per Inch), Pizza Pleazer, and Volatility Ranking, we’re bringing the science to creating a pie pecking order.
744 - Students sent through training in our facilities.
Between Competent Climber and Rescuer trainings from Safety LMS, Arborist Courses, OSHA 10 and 30, First Aid, CPR, and more, our classrooms and training facilities saw 3+ classes a month in each location!
869Â - Glossary terms defined.
Our Gear Experts dropped some defined knowledge bombs in our Glossary of Terms. Located in our Knowledge Base, it has an alphabetical list of nearly every term imaginable related to the gear we sell and the industries we serve. Peruse through the 25,717 words at your leisure!
1,071 - Tower Family Foundation “Climb Higher†Shirts sold.
This year we partnered with the Tower Family Foundation with a custom Climb Higher T-Shirt, with all proceeds going to the organization which helps support family members affected by an injury or death related to tower work. In all, over $22,800 was donated.
1,524 – Units of equipment repaired, recalibrated, re-certified, and inspected.
From our repair center for SRLs, Recalibration of electronic equipment, and inspection of PPE by our Competent People, we brought additional service beyond selling gear to keep workers safe.
4,000 - Boxes of Crayola Crayons donated during our school supplies drive.
We partnered with a local charity during their annual school drive and our team stepped up in a big way. The funds raised were able to supply enough colorful wax to get through countless coloring books.
5,316 – Hours of internal staff training.
Continued training has always been a focus for our team, which is why we dedicate substantial time to make sure everyone is on top of their game. New products, categories, and techniques continue to grow and so does our specialty knowledge.
92879 – The zip code of our new Corona, CA location.
Califoorrrniaaaaaa, here we come! Our latest location on the left coast is dead smack in the middle of Corona, just a few miles from Los Angeles. All you Pacific Time Zoners now can have your gear faster, or even pick it up if you’re in the area!
25,828 - Bottles of water saved by reusable water bottle filling stations.
Our filling stations not only put out some high-quality H20, but they help conserve the use of plastic water bottles. So far, they’ve pumped out 3228.5 gallons to keep our team happily hydrated.
95,243 - Social media following.
If you’re not witnessing our A+ Content on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Snapchat, and beyond, you’re missing out. Smash that like button!
110,617 - Total dollars donated to local charities.
Beyond the funds raised from the school drive, we worked hard to make 2019 our most charitable year ever. Giving back to others is critical to our mission.
656,700 - Minutes watched on YouTube.
Our production studio cranks out a constant series of videos ranging from product overviews, how-to videos, comparisons, and more. And be sure to tune in to our live streams when we have trainings going on. Subscribe and turn on notifications so you know exactly when the “On Air†light gets switched on.
1,504,470 - Items picked in our warehouses.
From individual orders, kits, production orders, and more, our fulfillment centers were running wide open to get gear where you need it, when you need it.
1,999,828 - Gear Expert Giveaway contest entries.
We gave away some great prizes during 2019! If your name wasn’t picked this year, keep an eye out for more chances to win in 2020!
3,262,275 - Feet of rope shipped.
That’s enough rope to stretch from the doorstep of our headquarters in Columbia, MO all the way to our Atlanta, GA location with a few miles of rope to spare!
4,840,964 - Website page views.
Another record year for our home on the web. Our product offering is always expanding and the number of visitors that stop by to check it all out is, as well. Thanks for seeing what we have going on, let’s do it again in 2020!
1,300,000,000+ - Assets under management by our investment partner, Platte River Equity.
Platte River Equity chose to invest in what we’re doing, meaning in the near future, we get to do even more - More locations, more equipment, more innovation, and more Gear Experts here to partner with and help grow your business!
Gear Up with Gear Experts: The Podcast
We're also proud to announce Gear Up with Gear Experts® - A podcast dedicated to at-height, industry, and construction. Gear Up with Gear Experts® is available via your podcast listening platform of choice and in each episode, the hosts (Alex Giddings & John Medina) bring in a gear expert or industry leader to talk about gear, gear safety, tips, tricks and more. To find out more about the show and sign up for alerts, head on over to gearexperts.com or click one of the links below to subscribe.
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play
