What is the inspiration behind GRiT MouthGuards?

Longtime friends and martial artists, Ron Cannon and Dr. Albert M. Castellan, formed the idea of GRiT after going through the tedious process of using an off-site lab. “Fellow martial artists were looking for custom mouthguards and this was during the time when mma was growing exponentially,” says Ron. “Athletes were looking for ways to show off their style. Unfortunately the outside labs weren’t able to provide the top of the line graphics and quality, and wait times were excessive. We knew we could do better.” Hence, the birth and beginning of GRiT MouthGuards.

 

Who is GRiT MouthGuards?

GRiT MouthGuards is a small American company dedicated to providing athletes the ultimate in mouthguard protection. While we have many people working hard behind the scenes (all who are equally important!), the original GRiT family began with the professional talents of Dr. Albert M. Castellan of Melrose Park, Illinois; the laboratory skills of Mr. Ron Cannon; and the graphic design of Mrs. Jamie Cannon.

 

What were the goals of GRiT when the company was founded?

GRiT’s ultimate goal was to provide athletes with a superior quality mouthguard at an affordable price. This was, and still is, our main objective! We knew all too well of the market saturation of boil and bite mouthguards and while these may entice athletes because of their low cost, we knew they weren’t going to offer the protection that athletes need! That being said, our bottom line isn’t to make a quick buck, but to make lifelong GRiT customers who are satisfied and confident in their mouthguards’ protection!

 

How has the organization evolved since day #1?

GRiT began making mouthguards for several local martial artists in the Chicagoland area, to today making mouthguards for many athletes across the country, as well as overseas. It’s been a very exciting journey!

 

Does GRiT make the best mouthguard on the market?

As the Bible says, “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; A stranger, and not your own lips.” – Proverbs 27:2.

 

While we strive to provide exactly what our athletes want aesthetically, as well as provide them with the ultimate in mouthguard protection, we know there’s always room to grow and new techniques to master.

 

What exactly makes GRiT so special?

We still believe in customer service! Our #1 priority is the happiness of our customers. We love to hear new athletes tell us they want to buy a GRiT because they’ve heard great things about us from others. We also strive to maintain a small business feel. We stay in contact with many of our athletes and their families via social media and word of mouth and attend many sporting events throughout the United States.

 

What does the future hold for GRiT?

Ideally, in the future GRiT would be synonymous with the words “custom mouthguard” and the two would be used interchangeably. People would be excited to wear mouthguards because they grew up wearing GRiT and would know that you don’t have to sacrifice comfort for individual style. The bottom line is our future is fueled by hard work. The hard work is inspired by the people we share this business with and the athletes that wear our product. Without the people, we are? I think you get the idea!

 

We would like to take the opportunity to thank all of the athletes, the families and the promoters of our product! To think of all the people that we have met over the years that have been such a positive influence is truly humbling!

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