Small-business profile: Endeavor Design Inc.

Max Jenke is reaching new heights with his Vancouver-based snowboarding-products company

Max Jenke loves to snowboard, but he never imagined the sport would prepare him for business ownership. In deciding how to tackle runs in Whistler, B.C., and other local mountains, Jenke – who was a pro snowboarder from age 16 to 22 –considers external conditions, such as wind, ice and temperature.

And as co-founder of Endeavor Design Inc., he factors in economic headwinds, consumer behaviour and shifts in business practices. Jenke started Endeavor in 2002, creating a snowboard that filled the need for a modern aesthetic and cutting-edge construction. Now the Vancouver-based outfit operates four distinct brands: Endeavor Snowboards, Airhole Facemasks, Ransom Footwear and Colour Wear. (The latter is an apparel brand from Sweden that Endeavor Design manufactures and sells under license in North America.)

Collectively, the four brands sell to over 35 countries and over 2,000 retailers. In other words, 15-year-old Endeavor has grown into a global outdoor-equipment, footwear and apparel company. Jenke says his connections in the field have helped the company expand, but he’s also recognized when to stay on course or pivot depending on external forces.

“There is a huge parallel between the mountains and business, as both are always changing,” says the 38-year-old. “We’ve never been able to cruise into a year and just repeat the steps we’ve done before. There are always curveballs and shifts happening, not just in your specific industry, but in the economy and the world in terms of how business is done. To me, a business is a living thing that is constantly moving, and hopefully forward.”

Endeavor’s biggest market is North America, followed by Asia and Europe. This year, Jenke has seen a lot of growth in the U.S., after having made the decision to pull back from the States following the 2008 financial crisis. This time around, and with the U.S. economy humming, Endeavor has been doing things differently.

“We recently hired a U.S. sales manager based out of Los Angeles,” says Jenke. “It has made a huge difference having someone on the ground in the U.S., who understands and represents the DNA of the brand versus having distributors or people just on contract. We’ve seen great results.”

In total, Endeavor employees six full-time staffers, who are often on the road (or the slopes) with customers and distributors. “Our premise has been to run the business off laptops and cell phones,” says Jenke.

Consumer behaviour is in flux, too. Endeavor’s customer is looking to buy without going into a physical store, and so the company has created a buy option on the websites of all its brands. “We used to be very wholesale-based and were doing a lot of exporting, but now we’re very focused on ecommerce,” says Jenke. “At the end of the day, we have our inventory, and technology allows us to make it accessible to everyone.”

In addition to websites, Endeavor also communicates to its consumers on social media and keeps them updated on the work of its Archetype Snowboard Lab, an R&D facility at its downtown Vancouver headquarters that tests and validates new innovation in snowboard technologies. The company has even opened a small space attached to the lab so customers can interact with staff. “It is a unique setting for them to see that we are taking care to have the best-performing and best-quality snowboards,” says Jenke.

For more on Endeavor Design Inc., and how Jenke’s team uses Rogers Unison™, check out this video!