Making a Difference
Bill Schmid, founder of Halo Innovations
Jane Kitchen -- Kids Today, 8/30/2011 6:38:00 AM
BACK GROUND: In 1991, Bill Schmid and his wife suffered an unspeakable tragedy when they lost their infant daughter Haley to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Soon after, Schmid, an engineer with 20 years' experience in airflow technology, began an exhaustive review of the latest medical research on SIDS.
"People started talking about re-breathing of carbon dioxide," said Schmid. "...And I wanted to know as an engineer, how could you correctively prevent that."
Schmid designed a crib mattress with a ventilated sleep surface, and after emptying out his 401K, launched the product in 1994.
"We decided collectively that if there's anything we can do to prevent other parents from going through what we went through and prevent babies from dying, then we needed to do it," said Schmid.
GETTING STARTED: But success didn't come easily. Schmid said without enough capital, he didn't have the tools to build awareness and education.
But as he continued paying close attention to the latest SIDS research, Schmid was drawn to a study out of the Netherlands in 1998 that showed SIDS rates were significantly lower in that country. One theory was that the Dutch used sleeping sacks for their babies, which not only eliminated the risk of any loose blankets, they also made it harder for babies to roll onto their stomachs.
Schmid set out to bring a similar product to the States, and after working to Americanize it, launched the Halo SleepSack in 2000. A partnership with the SIDS Alliance helped to get the message out about the Back to Sleep campaign and also helped give the product legitimacy.
"It took some time," said Schmid. "It was a new concept to North America, and there was an educational awareness that had to be built for that."
Still, he said, the SleepSacks were a bit easier and more obvious to raise awareness about than the mattress had been.
GROWTH: The product got its wings through catalogs like The Right Start and One Step Ahead, which Schmid said were the ideal launching pads, as there was an opportunity for getting information about the SleepSack out in the product description.
But things really took off soon after when Babies ‘R' Us picked up the SleepSack.
"In hindsight, it did move fairly quickly," said Schmid. "...We've grown significantly over the years, but my goal is to have every baby in one and every mom knowing about them."
Despite the company's success, Schmid, of course, has not forgotten the mission with which he started Halo. A portion of the sale of each SleepSack is earmarked for SIDS research, and the company has donated more than $1 million to date.
"I got into this business to make a difference and save some lives," he said. "The educational aspects have been very important to Halo... We've been able to fund a lot of research that First Candle (previously SIDS Alliance) does. I feel like we've elevated the awareness of SIDS and safe sleep."
Halo has partnered with almost 700 hospitals through its Safer Way to Sleep program, which provides Halo swaddles for newborns and educational information for mothers.
"In the last four years it's grown significantly, but our goal is to be in over 1,000 hospitals in the next year," said Schmid. "We're real proud of it - it goes to the heart of education and awareness and risk reduction."
FUTURE PLANS: Today, Halo is focused on keeping the line fresh with new fashions, some of which debuted at the ABC Spring Show in Fort Worth. The company has also recently introduced the Comfort Luxe line, an alternative to cotton that wicks away moisture and has been recognized by the National Eczema Foundation.
And new Sleep Sets are revolutionizing the way bedding sets are bought, packaging SleepSacks, a crib skirt and deep gusseted sheets together as a crib set for moms who don't want bumpers.
Schmid said hopefully by next year the company will be launching several additional products that are in line with the mission of the Halo brand.
"We're really excited about the direction we're headed," he said.
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