Longtime Seattle residents know that the city is one of many surprises- a nondescript street yields amazing architectural gems, for example, or an industrial area sprouts businesses never found at the local mall. Such is the case with Design 500 Racewear, the company that created the spacesuits for SpaceShipOne, and designs racing wear for hydroplane, auto, and karting events. The company prides itself on using the very latest in protective fabrics and the most up-to-date construction techniques along with complete embroidery and design services. Both racers and their crews can be entirely outfitted by the firm.
John Cuthbertson, Salesmanager of the South End company, was on hand recently to explain his successful, yet inconspicuous, company.
" Our top priority is safety with style", the mild-mannered Cuthbertson explained. "Our suits are designed with the customer's needs in mind. While many companies make suits of this sort, we are one of the few that tailor the product to the customer, and not the other way around."
The company is 23 years old and has a national reputation for producing a quality product with safety as its number one concern. Originally located in the Westlake neighborhood, it later moved to SODO during the Dotcom boom, and, eventually, to its present location in South Seattle. Despite its local operating base, over 95 percent of its clients are out-of-town folks who develop a one-on-one relationship with the Design 500 staff: the company has 9 full time employees.
"The benefit of being a small firm is that we develop an ongoing relationship with our clients," said Cuthbertson. "When the customer calls, they will likely talk to the same staff person each time and not have to rehash their needs over and over again or worry that a mistake will be made."
A culture of speed
To those who are unfamiliar with racing, the sport is built on a community of fathers and sons, moms and daughters all participating and being together as a weekend family event. Obviously winning and safety are top priorities.
"Our products are designed to save lives in the event of a fire. We don't want our customers testing our products for us. The product must speak for itself," stated Cuthbertson emphatically.
Design 500 suits are either made of NomeX, a product that's been in existence for 40 years and is made to retard heat, or CarbonX, a carbon fiber fabric that doesn't burn.
The flight suits worn by pilots during the X Prize competition, a Paul Allen venture, were created with CarbonX. Cuthbertson said they cost $1,000 apiece, and depending on the number of layers, will last 10-20 seconds in a fire. Unlike other products, CarbonX is not a dip treatment. Instead it is a permanent part of the fabric with the protection increasing as layers of fabric are added.
"The fabric is made by Chapman Innovations in Utah. When the SpaceShipOne folks were looking for flight suits, the CarbonX people referred them to us," said Cuthbertson proudly. "We have a reputation for designing the suit according to customer needs with logos embroidered on the suit, custom tailoring, and a wide array of customer-specific options. That's our niche."
Cuthbertson pegs his company's low-key and modest approach as a key component to its success.
"Maybe it's also because the company doesn't have a huge ego. We don't have a huge advertising budget- it's word-of-mouth," observed Cthbertson. "We just keep our head down and deliver a quality product that's dependable and will keep the customer safe."
Safety, especially with the threat of a fire, is paramount and Design 500 relies on the rigorous fire testing procedures performed by the SFI Foundation. The product must pass the specifications of this company or it is not used by Design 500.
This is not done at customer demand, but at the insistence of Design 500. Indeed, the company will ask customers for their suits that have been through a fire so it can examine the material and find ways to improve the product. Clearly the goal is safety with quality. Cuthbertson noted that it has only been in recent months that NASCAR now mandates this fire testing certification for the clothing worn by its racing participants.
"The goal of our product is to give you, or someone helping you, time to get you to safety in the event of a fire. A four-layer CarbonX suit worn by a drag racer will last 20 seconds and a two-layer suit worn by a drag racer and the SpaceShipOne pilots will last 10 seconds."
The texture of these suits is akin to silky-rough Cordura, the stuff backpacks are often made of, and is sturdy enough to be protective but not excessively heavy. Cuthbertson graciously tried to ignite a fabric swatch used for the suits. It didn't burn or even feel hot to the touch.
In addition to racewear, the company also has its Lady Eagle Safety wear division, offering female participants the same quality product and fabric safety but custom-cut to the shape and needs of the female anatomy.
Design 500 Racewear is located at 6333 First Avenue South ( 206 447-9860) or via the web at www.design500.com.
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