Bing Howenstein isn’t a doctor. In fact, he has spent the majority of his professional career producing movies.
Yet, Howenstein has turned BackJoy Orthotics, which sells a plastic cradle designed to ease back pain, into the No. 1 firm on the Business Journal’s list of fastest growing companies. So how did Howenstein find success making and selling a device that corrects sitting posture?
Howenstein admits it has been a serious challenge. He said most consumers think the Backjoy Core, which sells for $39.95, is just another gimmick. To counter that, he produced long-form TV infomercials and made appearances on the QVC home shopping network to show people how the product works.
“It allows us to engage the consumer with a story,” said Howenstein, who serves as the company’s president. “We go on QVC and we have eight minutes to engage the consumer and create a relationship and a foundation for the brand. We are engendering trust, which is important because there is so much snake oil out there, particularly in this category.”
The Backjoy Core is shaped like a seat and is made from plastic that adapts to how a person sits. According to the company’s website, the Backjoy corrects posture by tilting the pelvis forward to align the spine. The product also is supposed to lift the pelvis and cradle a person’s gluteus muscles, thereby stopping back muscles from tightening.
C. Thomas Vangsness Jr., an orthopedic surgeon and professor of orthopedic surgery at USC’s Keck School of Medicine, said the Backjoy could likely alleviate some types of back pain, but not all.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that in some cases it will give people relief, but I don’t think it will work for everybody,” he said. “The question is: Are you trying to get rid of pain and improve your quality of life?”
For a long-term solution, you stabilize the core, said Vangsness, who recommends exercise, including sit-ups on stability balls, as a primary method to alleviate back problems.
Howenstein developed the Backjoy Core with Preston Willingham, a Utah sculptor who had created a device to help relieve his father’s back pain. The two met early last decade when Howenstein left the entertainment business to start an infomercial production company and Willingham was struggling to sell his invention.
Howenstein believed that the product could become a big seller after testing it in his car, which had an uncomfortable seat. So he struck a licensing deal with Willingham and the pair – funded by Howenstein’s savings and some bank loans – refined the item with the assistance of doctors and physical therapists.
They launched the product in 2005. At the time, there were numerous back-pain relief gadgets on the market, including the $410 Back Bubble, a swing-type device that uses an inflatable cushion to decompress the spine. Another competitor was the $99 Forever Back Pain Relief System, a back wrap that uses electrical nerve simulation technology that can block pain signals sent to the brain.
Howenstein said he isn’t concerned about the competition. He’s focused on growing sales by taking the Backjoy Core international. He said several people involved in Crocs, the popular foam clog shoe, recently became partners in the company.
Howenstein also isn’t ruling out developing more products. “I’m just scratching the surface. I want to fix the way the world sits, stands and sleeps,” he said.
No. 1 – BackJoy Orthotics LLC
Valencia
Business: Plastic orthotic designed to relieve back pain
Founded: 2005
Two-Year Growth Rate: 677 %
2009 Revenue: $5.7 million
