Company Name: Nutshellz
Headquarters: High Ridge, Missouri
Signature Product: Nutshellz Level II Armored Cup
Website: www.armorednutshellz.com
CEO Jeremiah Raber spent 7 years and nearly $100,000 perfecting the Nutshellz Armored Cup in his basement. Through countless hours of research on body armor, Raber discovered an ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene material, leading to the discovery of his bullet resistant groin protection cup.
Where did your company name originate from?
Our company name, Nutshellz, comes from the protective outer shell of a nut.
What was the inspiration behind starting your company?
Nutshellz actually started while watching a UFC pay-per-view fight at a local St. Louis sports bar. My favorite fighter and all-time greatest welterweight UFC champion, Matt Hughes, lost his title to Georges St. Pierre. St. Pierre kicked Hughes twice in the groin, which was enough to get Hughes to start dropping his hands in anticipation of a third groin strike. Hughes ended up losing his title and I was furious. The “Eureka!” moment for Nutshellz happened on the way home – I knew there must be a better way to absorb the shock from a misdirected kick to the groin.
Why do you believe your products are essential to the Police and Military communities?
Police and military need to be supplied with the best armor and Nutshellz is the superior groin protector on the market. Nutshellz’s ergonomics were designed with Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighters in mind. The cup is designed to protect from an opponent’s kick coming from below by wrapping further backwards between the legs. If a professional fighter drops to his knees when hit in the groin, one can only imagine the situation where a criminal takes advantage of a police officer’s unprotected groin. You have an officer down on the ground and his firearm unprotected and available to be used against him.
What makes your company unique?
We don’t skimp on quality. Our protector is the best in the world and I personally make the armor plates and do all the assembly. I would never deliver a product of poor quality.
What do your customers like best about you and your products?
MMA fighters that have taken a misplaced kick tell me that our cup protects them better than anything else they’ve ever worn.
What is the most rewarding part of serving the first responder community?
I think the best part about making this product is it is such a personal and sensitive subject that each and every man alive can understand its importance.
What’s next for your company? Any upcoming projects or initiatives?
Nutshellz is currently working on the production of an ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene multi-hit standalone rifle plate for the law enforcement community.
For more information on Nutshellz, visit www.armorednutshellz.com.
