About Ergodyne

We are intensely committed to the safety community and generating disproportionately positive results for workers, safety pros and sellers of our stuff. A passionate, fully committed and growing army of global representative and authorized distributors are poised and ready to serve the millions of workers all over the world who put our gear on every day and brainwashing those who don’t… yet. We accomplish this through a unique combination of listening, educating, focus and the pursuit of excellence.

Our Commitment

INNNOVATION AND EXCELLENCE

Since the day we planted our flag and set up shop, we’ve been awarded hundreds of global patents and trademarks—with plenty more on the horizon. Along the way, we’ve been recognized with multiple growth awards and several international innovation and design honors.

About Us | Our Commitment | Group of Ergodyne employees in exercise clothes

CRACKERJACK TEAM

We are a workforce of tenaciously dedicated pros utterly obsessed with delivering safety excellence and abiding by our company ethos. We work with passion and purpose, but also make time for fun. We never rest on our laurels because we know you’re only as good as your last product—though ours was probably legendary.

About Us | Our Commitment | Internal view of Ergodyne offices

INTERGALACTIC HEADQUARTERS

Headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota (the center of the universe), our offices are located in the historic Bandana Square. Our space is pretty dang cool, including its brand-inspired floor plan, larger-than-life wall graphics and pulse-pumping playlists. It’s a stimulating creative space where innovation is not just encouraged—it’s required.

Our Story

Go to slide 1 THE BEGINNING
1983 - 1985
Go to slide 2 1985-1986
Go to slide 3 1986-1992
Go to slide 4 1992-1994
Go to slide 5 1994-2001
Go to slide 6 2001-2007
Go to slide 7 2008-2013
Go to slide 8 2014-2015
Go to slide 9 2015-2018
Go to slide 10 AND BEYOND

THE DOCTOR IS IN

MJ moonwalks all over the charts. M*A*S*H becomes the most watched television program ever. And $3,000 buys you a mobile phone the size of a damn cinder block. Meanwhile, at a hospital in downtown St. Paul, MN, Dr. Thomas W. Votel sparks an industrial safety revolution with a back support aimed at reducing the number one on-the-job injury.

THE WHIZ KID TAKES THE REINS

With business at virtually zero, Dr. Votel says "what the hell" and hands the operation over to his son, recent college grad Tom Votel. The young buck promptly changes the company name to Ergodyne and sets out to make good on his dad's mission of reducing on-the-job injuries. First stop? Yellow Pages: Safety Equipment & Clothing. Godspeed, Sweet Prince. Godspeed.

HOUSE PARTY

Officing out of a funky little love shack on St. Paul's, Grand Avenue, Votel begins to secure distributorship for Ergodyne's pioneering back support. A few key players in the industry get hooked on a feeling. Soon, it's a full-blown party. Ergodyne takes off. By 1991, the kid has taken the old man's side gig and turned it into one of INC.'s Top 500 Fastest Growing Small Companies in the U.S.

PARTY CRASHERS

The Man steps in to bust up the fun, just as things get lit (typical). And hey, look what they brought with them: a whitepaper questioning and discrediting the effectiveness of the back support in preventing injury! Thanks, NIOSH. A six-pack and some Doritos would have been just fine.

FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHT

With Uncle Sam in full-on back support buzzkill mode, Ergodyne goes underground, assembling a crack commando unit of industry soldiers to fight the powers that be. Ever watch A-Team? Yeah, basically that, minus the sweet van. A national ad campaign follows. The feds eventually back down (we do love it when a plan comes together). Ergodyne broadens its product line to protect more workers, introducing the Chill-Its^® brand, developing a patient transfer device and more.

DON'T CALL IT A COMEBACK

With spines stiffened (ha - get it? No? Too soon?) from the unfounded attack on back supports by federal regulators, Ergodyne gets Tenacious, introducing the Tenacious Work Gear^® concept and an aggressive new strategy built on three pillars: managing the elements, improving productivity and providing protection.

INNOVATION OVERDRIVE

Adding SHAX^® Portable Work Shelters, Skullerz^® Head Protection and CORE^® Performance Work Wear to the product mix (with plenty more on the horizon), Ergodyne goes into innovation overdrive, ready to take industrial safety by storm. Hold on to your butts. Here. We. Go.

DIGITAL EVOLUTION

This internet thing doesn’t look like it’s going away. Time to tune up our ones and zeros. Go mobile. Practice our selfies. A new website becomes the hub of everything Ergo. Social channels open up engagement with the Tenacious Nation. Product feedback in a flash. All the better to keep our mission honest and on course.

WORKDAY 2 WEEKEND

Everybody's working for the weekend? Hmm. Seems like everybody's working on the weekend, too. Around the yard. In the garage. Even backpacking into camp – that ain't no walk in the park. Well, technically, it's a park but… you get it. And so does Ergodyne: the need for thoughtfully designed, exhaustively field-tested gear doesn't quit when you slide down that brontosaurus tail at 5:00 PM.

VIEW WORKDAY 2 WEEKEND PRODUCTS

BACK TO THE FUTURE

So where do the next 35 years take us? If we had a DeLorean to take us there we'd tell you. And wouldn't that be fun? But sadly we don't. Yet. Though we can tell you where we think it's taking us, and that gets us all tingly inside. It's a future where safety gear is connected in a way that will predict and prevent workplace mishaps before they happen. It's a brave new world, and we're excited to lead the way.

Meet the Leadership

Tom Votel

President & CEO

I became president and CEO of Minnesota-based Ergodyne in 1985—just two years after becoming the company’s first full-time employee. Thirty years in, I remain deeply committed to the safety community and hope our heartfelt daily quest to develop and market innovative, smartly-designed, high-quality solutions for the workers in the trenches and on the frontlines actually makes The Workplace a Betterplace™.

Anne Raskie

CFO

I landed here at the Orange Planet in March of 2022 and am thrilled to be part of such a passionate team of professionals. I am continuously impressed with the creativity, talent and dedication of everyone here at Ergodyne.

Greg Schrab

SVP Operations & Product Management

In 1995, I found myself on the Orange Planet—Ergodyne. The culture change from my previous job experiences was evident from the first day when I received an employee handbook that was about three pages long, contained a grand total of 400 words and included helpful instructions such as: DRESS CODE: wear some. I knew this was going to be “home” for quite some time.

Lindsay Herda

VP of Marketing

I took the plunge in 2010, joined Ergodyne and have never looked back. Once onboard, I started insourcing much of our traditional marketing. Why? Because no one knows our unique and special brand in a more authentic way than we do here. Over the past 8 years, our amazing Marketing team has evolved into a 21st century digital marketing machine—in an industry where we are the exception not the rule.

Jeff Bazal

Vice President of Sales

I’m honored to be aboard the Ergodyne rocket ship, and even more so, to be in a leadership role guiding its path. When I think about what inspires me every day, the answer is 100% our people. We truly have the best of the best here—massively creative, exceptionally talented and don’t even get me started on the sales team… they could sell sand at the beach.

Meet the Experts Inside Ergodyne

Alsie Nelson

Associate Product Director - Elements

In Alsie's role as Associate Product Director, she focuses on development of products that combat temperature stress—including Chill-Its cooling gear, N-Ferno warming gear, Trex ice traction, SHAX portable work shelters and KREW’D skin protection. Alsie’s dedication to mitigating the risk of temperature stress on the job has helped propel Ergodyne into one of the most respected thought leaders in the category.

Tim Gallant

Product Director - Protection

Tim joined Ergodyne in 2020 as Product Director for the Protection Pillar, leading innovation across the category with a specialization in Skullerz Head and Eye Protection. He brings 20+ years of product management, design and development to the team, with the bulk of his pre-Ergodyne career spent in the bicycle industry.

Nate Bohmbach

Product Director - Prevention

Nate joined Ergodyne in 2011, overseeing the Prevention Pillar with a focus on keeping worksite tools and equipment organized, efficient and safe. Nate's passion for at-heights safety solutions includes the critical and emerging category of objects at heights. He has has developed innovative safety products for nearly a decade and teaches best practices to multiple industries.

Aaron Skemp

Associate Product Manager

Aaron Skemp joined Ergodyne’s Protection Pillar in 2017, where he works to develop the Skullerz line of head and eye protection, ProFlex supports and knee/head protection and GloWear hi-vis apparel.

Allie Thunstrom

Associate Field Product Manager

An Ergodyte since 2014, Allie Thunstrom is the Orange Planet’s Associate Field Product Manager. Allie works closely with end users to identify solutions that meet their unique needs. Her focus is primarily Objects at Heights but, as Ergodyne’s resident field expert, she is well versed in all of the company’s safety categories.

Claudia Weber

Product Specialist

Claudia joined Ergodyne in 2021 as Product Specialist for the Elements Pillar. Her background in product development and degree in retail merchandising from the University of Minnesota is put to work daily on the development of temperature stress-combating products—including Chill-Its cooling gear, N-Ferno warming gear, Trex ice traction, SHAX portable work shelters and KREW’D skin protection.

Matt Hahn

Product Manager

Matt joined Ergodyne in 2021 as Product Manager for the Prevention Pillar, bringing over 15 years of product development and engineering experience to the Arsenal Gear & Tool Storage Line.

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