DALLAS — Texas is open for business! Whether a company is native to the Lone Star State or just got here as fast as it could, we want to know: What makes these businesses tick? Why are so many of them calling Texas home? And how do they plan to continue to expand in the years to come? This is Trending in Texas.
Since launching Warstic as a side hustle in 2011, the sports apparel company has moved well up in founder Ben Jenkins' batting order of priorities while quickly expanding throughout the sports industry.
After introducing itself to the world as a baseball and softball equipment company to now existing as an entity that creates products for sports as wide-ranging as pickleball, lacrosse, surfing and more, Warstic has long since evolved from the creative outlet it served as for Jenkins in its first five years of existence.
Of course, it helped that former Texas Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler and rock star Jack White decided around the same time to invest in the business and help put Warstic on the path to accelerated growth.
"We’re considered the punk rock of baseball," says Warstic president Christine Edgington. "We don’t do things like everybody else does. I don’t think we follow the normal pathway forward. I don’t think we approach our products in a straightforward way."
To that end, it makes sense that the company is headquartered in the Dallas nightlife and counterculture neighborhood of Deep Ellum. After all, this is a company that, despite selling physical products to be used in athletic endeavors, lives by its slogan of "It’s not the weapon, it’s the warrior."
Location matters to Warstic.
"Being in Texas – just the history of Texas baseball, the history of this state, [it all plays a role]," says co-owner Kinsler. "It’s gritty. It’s tough. And that’s part of this whole thing."
Sure, you can purchase Warstic products from major retailers like Academy or Dick’s Sporting Goods, but it's only once you step inside that flagship store in Deep Ellum, do you get the full Warstic experience. The Warstic hub includes products, apparel, a batting cage, a coffee bar and the only place within reasonable driving distance to watch a professional wooden bat be crafted from scratch.
That's important for this growing brand, which aims to provide a unique experience right here in North Texas.
“We’re really the second- or third-biggest market in the country for baseball and softball," says Jenkins. "So, it’s a great place to be -- even just locally. We do sell all over the country and even beyond, but we love it here. We love being in the neighborhood, and we feed off the creative energy of it. Texas is a great place to do business."
Whether a company started in DFW or relocated here at some point along their journey, if you know of a business headquartered in the North Texas region that you believe is Trending in Texas, we'd love to hear from you! Please e-mail us at trending@wfaa.com for coverage consideration.