Schwartz: The Wright Man For This 'Mission'
By Peter Schwartz
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These are good times for David Wright.
As the third baseman tries to help lead the Mets to the postseason, he's already part of a winning team as a partner with MISSION Athletecare, the leading brand in thermoregulation, which is one of the fastest growing categories in athlete wellness.
The company's objective is to deliver game-changing advantages for competitive athletes with athlete-engineered products that are designed to help them prepare, perform and rehab from competition.
In less than three years, MISSION has gone from just a single product to a comprehensive EnduraCool line ranging from instant-cooling towels and skull caps to instant-cooling sleeves and hats.
Wright is more than just a pitchman for MISSION. He helped launch the company back in 2009.
"The MISSION business model is very smart, and it engages athletes at the right levels – physically and mentally," Wright told WFAN.com from spring training in Port St. Lucie. "Anyone can be a talking head, but being an equity partner, having a true voice in the business and being part of the team that's building the next billion-dollar sports brand is exciting."
MISSION continues to bloom as a company and recently announced $35 million in growth capital funding and the addition of The North Face founder and former CEO Hap Klopp to its leadership team. The company is now in a position for record expansion in 2015.
MISSION is pumped up for what lies ahead.
"Beyond excited," MISSION CEO and founder Josh Shaw said. "Our entire team has worked with maniacal focus and relentless commitment to get here -- and while we're ecstatic with what we've achieved, we all know it's just the start. Our vision is clear, and we are committed to building a billion-dollar brand in the next few years."
For an athlete, managing one's body and skin temperature is critical for his or her performance and safety. MISSION has been able to focus on the revolutionary technology known as thermoregulation to deliver a line or products that meets their needs.
"The success we have had with MISSION EnduraCool has been incredible, and a testament to the company's ability to deliver best in class innovations that matter," Wright said. "When its 80 degrees, 90 degrees or 100 degrees, the heat can drastically impact your performance, and MISSION just gets it. This is more than great products to help performance and recovery. This is about health and safety too."
In addition to expanding its line of instant cooling gear and accessories, MISSION has been able to achieve another objective. While taking care of world class athletes, MISSION has also made an impact off the field with their health and safety initiatives for youth athletes.
"Youth athletes are mission critical for us," Shaw said. "They are the future, and we have a host of initiatives in motion focused specifically on youth athletes."
As part of their initiative, MISSION also proudly supports the charities of its athlete partners -- and the roster is quite impressive.
While Wright has enjoyed success with MISSION, he's hoping to have similar success on the field with the Mets this season. Last season, the Mets finished in second place in the NL East with a record of 79-83.
This season, there's a good feeling around the Amazin's and an expectation that this team can make the playoffs.
"Absolutely," Wright said. "Our coaching staff and trainers are preparing us for a real run to compete. I'm very optimistic in our guys, and I know we have the talent and the will to get there."
While the Mets would probably do themselves a favor by acquiring another bat or two to help out Wright, Curtis Granderson, Michael Cuddyer & Co., the team could stay competitive by virtue of its pitching staff.
With Matt Harvey returning to a rotation that includes the likes National League Rookie of the Year Jacob deGrom, Zach Wheeler and Jon Niese, the Mets are feeling pretty good about the upcoming season.
"Very excited," Wright said. "Pitching is important and I think we match up with anybody heading into the 2015 season."
As the Mets get ready for the season down in Florida, Wright's other team continues to soar and expand.
In addition to Wright, MISSION's team includes Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony as well as Dwyane Wade, Serena Williams, Mia Hamm and Reggie Bush. All of the athletes have a hands-on approach to the company and share a desire to making an impact off the field.
"I'm honored to be partners with such a great group of athletes," Wright said. "Serena, Dwyane, Mia and the rest of our MISSION Athlete team may play different sports, but we all share the common goal of building a global innovation brand that stands for something."
MISSION continues to expand by leaps and bounds. Over the last five years, the company has grown ten fold and another double digit growth is expected in 2015.
Having a team of athletes like they do is a big reason why MISSION has been so successful. Wright has been a big part of that success. He's been an important partner and is engaged in both the business and product development.
"David is fantastic on every level - not just on the field, but off the field as well," Shaw said. "His excellence in performance style inspires my entire team to carry the same qualities in how we operate our business on a daily basis."
It's a business that continues to reach new heights every year. MISSION's products are currently available at 15,000 retailers across the country and there are expansion plans for international territories this year.
For more information on the company, visit www.missionathletecare.com.
Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @pschwartzcbsfan. You can also follow Mission @MissionAthlete.
