Co-Founders of Reflection Band, LLC. Frank J. Rosello – left, Paul G. Marcus – right
reflectionband® started as an idea Paul G. Marcus had that was truly a gift from God.
Here is our incredible story:
One day in late 2013, Mr. Marcus saw that a friend of his had written with a pen directly on the rear-view mirror of his teenage child’s car, “Don’t Text and Drive.” While Mr. Marcus was very impressed that his friend went as far as to write a life saving message to serve as a constant visual reminder for his teenage child to be aware and safe while driving, he quickly realized that writing text with a pen on a rear-view mirror of a car could pose an entirely different danger and risk while driving. Inspired by the good intentions of his friend and through divine intervention, Mr. Marcus immediately began to formulate the key elements of a product design that would deliver a life saving message, utilizing a car’s rear-view mirror, to anyone while driving in safe, unobtrusive, and non distracting manner.
On January 5, 2014, Mr. Marcus shared his idea with his good friend, Frank J. Rosello, over dinner in Santa Fe, New Mexico and it took less than 15 minutes before both of them realized that what was in front of them was something special. At the time, both were fairly confident that not only was this product concept unique and that no one had ever seen before or previously manufactured, but that the number of different ways and industries that could leverage this product in addition to the traffic safety industry were many and exciting.
reflectionband® at the top of Santa Fe Ski Mountain, New Mexico
In the next 30 days, both business partners along with their marketing and technology expert and partner, Mr. Paul Jeter, embarked on a very aggressive series of activities that resulted in confirming that the product concept was 100% unique, that there wasn’t any state or federal laws in the U.S. standing in the way, and that consumer and market appeal would be extremely high. From there, the reflectionband® product name and brand was developed and the team was ready for the next step in this journey…to find and secure a manufacturing partner.
On February 18, 2014, we met with our first company of choice, which also happened to be our very first product pitch and 7 hours later, we had an agreement! The R&D work immediately began and just 24 days later on March 11, 2014, our manufacturing partner developed all of the product and manufacturing specifications along with producing the first reflectionband® prototype.
reflectionband® was born!
From there, extensive product and manufacturing testing followed and in just 8 months on September 6, 2014, reflectionband® made its product debut at the national Governor’s Highway Safety Association (GHSA) Annual Meeting in Grand Rapids, MI resulting in the first state agency in the U.S. to adopt reflectionband®, the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT).
In March 2015, reflectionband® was officially introduced and launched in the Promotional Products industry in the United States.
In September 2015, reflectionband® was granted patents in the United States, Canada, and 28 European countries along with the registration of all of its company and product trademarks in the U.S. and abroad.
In August 2016, NHTSA published their annual data reporting that 35,092 people lost their lives in vehicle crashes on U.S. roadways during 2015, representing an increase from 32,744 in 2014. This 7.2% increase is the largest percentage increase in nearly 50 years and in large part was attributed to driver’s behaviors.
We are 100% committed to supplying reflectionband® for use as a life saving safety item and tool with the goal of reducing the number of unnecessary traffic crashes and fatalities in the U.S. and throughout the world resulting from distracted driving, impaired driving, or failure to use a seat belt. reflectionband® represents the innovation that the traffic safety industry is in need of to facilitate driver’s behavior change while reinforcing / inspiring safe driving behaviors while behind the wheel. We are blessed and very proud to be working with many of the State Departments of Transportation (DOT’, State Offices of Highway Safety (SOHS), and both public and private companies with large vehicle fleets throughout the United States today.
Our commitment to traffic safety is so strong that in January 2017, we launched our official online store to provide anyone in the world, especially parents of teen drivers, the opportunity to acquire a traffic safety designed reflectionband® for either themselves or for their teen driver or both. When it comes to traffic safety, our company motto is “If reflectionband® Saves Just One Life…Then It’s Worth It!”
reflectionband® in the clouds over Santa Fe, New Mexico. Do you see it?
There are many other distribution channels, markets, and industries that reflectionband® will eventually be a part of in the future. In fact, this has already happened to us as reflectionband® made its retail distribution debut in September 2016 with RED The Uniform Tailor stocking a “Blue Lives Matter” reflectionband® design in their retail showroom locations in Carrollton and Houston, Texas. RED The Uniform Tailor is a top supplier of uniforms and equipment to law enforcement agencies and fire departments throughout the U.S. and they recognized that our messaging platform would be an innovative way to get the message out that our law enforcement officers are valued and important. Police officers lives do MATTER and we are very proud that reflectionband® is being used to promote such an important cause.
On August 6, 2018, Reflection Band, LLC became an Official Distributor for FOCO (previously Forever Collectibles) of reflectionband®. Under this partnership, reflectionband® is now an Officially Licensed Product of the National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball Association (NBA), the National Hockey League (NHL), and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). reflectionband® is now one of the newest and innovative Officially Licensed products in the FOCO product line.
God is guiding us on this incredible journey and we give Him thanks and praise everyday!
