Eva Baldi
Shawville June 19, 2021
High school student turns a funny saying into a clothing brand.
During his time at Pontiac High School, Shawville resident Dylan Woermke had. . .
an interest in clothing and a passion for entrepreneurship.
“To be honest with you, I never wanted to work for someone else,” Woermke said, “I want to encourage people to chase their own dreams.”
Woermke first took a liking to fashion in high school when he noticed the vast variety of clothes worn by his peers. One night when spending time with his friends, the term “banging” was thrown around to describe describe something as “excellent” or “impressive”.
“I thought to myself, that would be great on a shirt,” Woermke said as he recouted his lightbulb moment. From there, with one hundred dollars and a basement studio to call their own, Banging Gear was born.
It was not always easy for the company to find recognition locally. In its start-up months, Banging Gear was receiving more orders from people in western Canada than anywhere else. It was not until the release of their ‘Shawvegas’ clothing line, which was available in Payton Ringrose’s Shawville-based barber shop, that local sales really began to take off. This allowed the company to break even within their first year of operation.
When asked how this community affected the success of their business, fellow Banging Gear team member Justice Reasbeck chimed in saying “The sense of community out here, man, that’s something that you don’t have in Ottawa”.
Woermke and his colleagues had nothing but praise for his hometown and the people in it. The Banging Gear team acknowledges the instrumental impact that being from a supportive small town had on their business saying that if they weren’t for Shawville, they wouldn’t be at the stage in their business that they are currently at.
The boys are hoping to make a difference by showing that it is possible to be successful in the pursuit of your dreams. Owen Ballard, went so far as to say “if we can do it, anyone can do it”.
