A passion for motorbiking has always been in Martin Slowey’s blood from a young age.
The 55-year-old has now turned that love into a new business in what he claims to be a “world first”.
Former oil and gas business consultant Mr Slowey has started The Helmet Inspection Company.
The Aberdeen firm is offering a service that claims to be able to scan a helmet’s shell for hidden signs of damage or degradation.
Cutting-edge technology
Using a non-destructive technique, the company’s scan claims to reveal damage and defects beneath the outer surface of the shell which are invisible to the naked eye, and it says the results will show whether a helmet is still fit for purpose.
Mr Slowey said: “We’re all told that once a helmet’s been dropped, no matter from what height, that it should be replaced.
“I just couldn’t believe there wasn’t a way to examine the shell to see if it had suffered any damage.
“But it was true, and no such service was available, short of cutting the helmet in two.
“You can never compromise on safety.
“We have pioneered a world first in non-destructive damage detection for protective headgear.
You can never compromise on safety.”
“Our service uses real-time TV holography to detect in-service damage and manufacturing defects.
“Biking is my passion and the biking world is really waking up to the need for zero ambiguity when it comes to the safety of the headgear we use.”
Forced career change
The dad-of-three previously worked as a B2B business consultant, predominantly in oil and gas, but when the Covid pandemic hit he found himself having to explore other avenues of work.
He said: “There was several things that happened. A perfect storm really.
“Covid-19 came along and that affected my other revenue streams I had quite significantly.
“I spoke with others in my network who were delivering similar consultancy services and they were all in the same boat, so it wasn’t just me.
“That validation was quite good because it confirmed it wasn’t anything I was doing wrong – it was just the circumstances.
“That’s what led me to look at alternative options.”
Mr Slowey, who has been riding motorbikes since the age of six, started researching how to verify the safety credentials of his own helmet after accidentally dropping it.
He said: “I researched the technology required to do this effectively, and through my network found a professor at Loughborough University who had co-invented the technology some 30 years ago.
“He was a biker as well so understood exactly what I wanted to do.”
Mr Slowey put together a business plan and managed to secure a five-figure sum of start-up investment from local investors which he matched himself to get his venture launched.
More than 12 months later, the business has grown and it’s not just motorcyclists using the service.
Mr Slowey said: “We are getting equestrians’ horse riding hats and the RAF winter sports team sent us a batch of luge helmets.
“Some of the larger police forces down in England have sent us their motorcyclist and public order helmets.
“We’ve had a big American aerospace and defence business get in touch, as they have developed a new pilot helmet for the new Typhoon and they want us to test the integrity of it.
“We are getting all sorts coming in from everywhere.”
Demand globally
The company has also had an inquiry from Ford Lommel Proving Ground, seeking to assess helmets for drivers testing vehicles manufactured by the automotive giant in Europe.
Mr Slowey, who is married to Helen, said: “We’ve been described as a disruptor in the market because we still are the only service of its type anywhere in the world.
“We are getting a lot of inquiries from North America, Canada and Europe.
“There’s clearly a global demand for the service. One of the challenges we’ve got is that we are tapping into early adopters.
“Helmet manufacturers have drummed it into us for decades that if we drop a helmet, we need to replace it.
“That message still stands strong. But as a consequence of our start-up, that’s now an outdated narrative.
“But nevertheless, lots of people still don’t know about us and that’s the challenge we have to grow our business.”
Overseas expansion plan
One of the options Mr Slowey is considering is franchising as a way to expand.
He said: “Brexit hasn’t really done us any favours. With the levels of complexity in customs and excise, you’ve got to question whether it’s actually worth doing.
“It’s so complex to take a helmet in from Europe and avoid having to pay tax, VAT and duty.
“The willingness and appetite is there for customers in North America and Europe, but it’s just really prohibitive at the moment.
“We are looking at franchising as an option.
“It is going to be a challenge for us because our accounts reflect a start-up business in an early adopter scenario.
“But the opportunity and market is there. It’s just tapping into it.”
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