Schools

SHS Senior's Battlefield Bandanas Do Double Duty

LZACC Young Entrepreneur Tom Stawinski, of Buffalo Grove, is marketing a bandana that keeps sweat out of your eyes and honors U.S. troops.

Tom Stawinski, a Stevenson High School senior, has had the entrepreneurial spirit for some time. As a sophomore, he started a clothing company with his best friends, Swanky & Co., which was a balance between class and street wear.

Now Tom has created Battlefield Bandanas as part of his involvement with the Lake Zurich Area Chamber of Commerce Young Entrepreneurs Academy. 

Read about Tom and his Battlefield Bandanas in this Q&A:

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Tell us about yourself:

As a kid I have always loved being outdoors and playing sports…My biggest childhood accomplishment would have to be going down to Daytona Beach, Florida with my football team and winning the National Youth Football Championship…Two years in a row! Besides football, I’ve played soccer, volleyball and boxing. 

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Why did you get involved with YEA?

I’ve always been fascinated by how you can do or create anything in this world if you put your mind and heart behind it. This has been proven possible over and over by many different people and inventions; such as: the Romans and the Colosseum, Thomas Edison and the lightbulb, even the Young Entrepreneurs Academy by Gayle Jagel and Phil Saunders. Anything can be accomplished with the use of Entrepreneurship and that’s why I wanted to be involved. 

How did you come up with the idea for Battlefield Bandanas?

I came up with the idea for the Battlefield Bandana as I jogged down Buffalo Grove Road while wearing a wool army camouflaged cap. As I exercised, people honked at me, as if I had served and thanked me for my service or as a sign of respect that I was supporting the troops. It was a great feeling and I wanted to share it with both U.S. citizens and soldiers alike. However, the cap I was wearing would always get drenched in sweat… and so I decided to find or create something that worked better then the cap, and would thank our troops for their service.

Tell us how you took Battlefield Bandanas from an idea to an actual product:

As a football player, some of my teammates would wear Underarmour Skullcaps under their helmets to try and stop sweat from stinging their eyes. I thought that if I could take a Bandana like Rambo, paint it camouflage, and use an Underarmour like material, then maybe I could make my vision become a reality. So, I started by calling Underarmour and asking if they could make it. However, I quickly realized that if I really wanted to help the troops, then I had to keep my bandanas made in the USA. After a couple months of cold calls, I eventually found a man on the other side of the US who agreed to manufacture the Battlefield Bandana in-house!

How are you marketing Battlefield Bandanas?

Like most if not all start-up companies today, I will begin by using social media, like the facebook page: www.facebook.com/BattlefieldBandana 

What reaction have you gotten from people who have seen the bandanas?

Everyone who has seen it has loved the cool, comfortable camouflage look, and the people who have used it, have agreed that it keeps sweat out of their eyes. 

What has been your favorite part or experience so far during this entrepreneurial project?

To be honest, I have loved everything about this project… but what has to be my favorite, is hearing the excitement in a soldiers voice when they ask me questions about the Battlefield Bandana. I can’t wait to send the first batch to a company of heroes serving overseas.

What are your future goals?

I plan on growing the company and making the Battlefield Bandana a “Symbol of Appreciation” from the citizens to all the honorable men and women who have served in our nation's military.


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