How courage, determination and hard work gave rise to Hero Barbell

It was 2017 and Frank Savarese, a former college baseball player and graduate of the United States Naval Academy, met Greg Spillane and Mike Butler. The three men gathered on Rancho Bernardo’s dusty community softball field, five, where everyone coached their kids in softball. The guys hit it off immediately, bonding over their love of CrossFit and athletics in general.

2020, COVID and California’s quarantine orders were followed closely, and the three families decided to quarantine together. Maintaining physical fitness was important for men. The guys got to work putting together a solid home gym, and for those who remember, dumbbells were hard to find in the time of COVID.

One day, Spillane had an idea.

He suggested that the guys start their own dumbbell company.

• Savarese remembers: What we really wanted to create was the brand behind the bar, for CrossFitters, by CrossFitters.

Butler and Savarese placated their friend, nodded, and decided to sleep on the matter. The next morning, Savarese got a call.

• Greg called us, and he found a lot of samples so quickly.

• He found manufacturers, I ordered demo bars and specs and sent them home. He said we would look at them and go from there.

It’s become a true passion project, with the men not only focusing on a great product but also an even better brand identity.

• We started designing everything and build the roots behind the company by envisioning the supply chain and logistics and discovering the partners who will help us on our path. Eventually, we put it all together and hit the market in February 2021.

HERO Barbells’ goal was to be proud to be a self-funded startup and begin a journey to redefine the barbell landscape.

Being completely self-funded, HERO was able to start with just five SKUs – they came with five men’s dumbbells and sales skyrocketed quickly.

HERO started appearing in competitions, and the biggest feedback came from women who wanted their own bar. The company signed Andrea Nisler as HERO’s first major athlete and began manufacturing women’s dumbbells.

No matter the bar, the specs are the same.

• Savarese describes the product: They are all IWF spec needle bearing bars, eight needle bearings in total, four on each side, plus a bushing on each side. And now they are all Cerakote coated bars.

• Cerakote offers long-lasting, and a roll bar promotes fast, free turning.

HERO has constantly expanded, both in products and athlete representation.

Shortly after Nisler came on board, they hired Tim Paulson and, more recently, Colton Mertens joined the party. The company remains self-financed, and the guys still don’t receive a salary and invest everything they earn in the business.

• Savarese: We are doing this because of our commitment to see the company continue to succeed.

As CrossFit continues to grow, so do the companies within the CrossFit space. And Savarese believes all brands can coexist symbiotically in the space.

• When you look at CrossFit as a community, you see direct competition, but in the end, right when the competition is over, everyone hugs each other, everyone comes together and everyone becomes stronger. That’s how I feel about the different brands in the space. This is what got me into CrossFit in the first place. Because I believed in the community and in the fact that everyone can be who they are.

As HERO Barbell looks to the future, it seeks accredited investors who share its vision.

The company started as a self-funded venture, but they understand that further growth requires additional resources. Those interested in more investment information should contact Frank Savarese.

All Hero Barbell Co. orders will receive 10% off in October, use code HEROFAM1