PBN 2025 Manufacturing Awards
PRODUCT INNOVATION & DESIGN: G-Form LLC
For more than two decades, G-Form LLC, based in Providence, has been trailblazing a path in innovative impact protection consumer products driven in large part by its game-changing globally distributed SmartFlex technology.
From sports to military to industrial safety, G-Form has become the go-to protective gear provider for baseball, basketball, biking, soccer, soldiers, law enforcement and everything in between. Athletes and teams who promote G-Form include pro baseball players George Springer and Bobby Witt Jr., Swedish slopestyle mountain biker Emil Johansson, Wichita State University softball, and the Rhode Island FC soccer team.
“We are the only brand offering this type of protection,” said Paul Fisher, senior vice president of the global product and supply chain. “Our patented technology provides body mapping, flexibility and the best impact protection on the market. The technology is a special formula of non-Newtonian foam, which causes it to harden on impact. And it is 100% waterproof.”
A fluid in which the viscosity changes when stress is applied, non-Newtonian foam can be soft and flexible at one moment, then stiff and rigid the next.
Recently, G-Form acquired a highly sought-after Major League Baseball On-Field License for its baseball products. It also delivered on its first U.S. Army contract for a shoulder protective pad that can be worn over the straps of backpacks to mitigate the stress and pain endured when carrying heavy packs over many miles.
“G-Form’s cutting-edge innovation lab empowers our team of brilliant engineers and chemists to push the boundaries of SmartFlex technology,” said CEO Glen Giovanucci. “By fine-tuning its properties, we’re enhancing performance in extreme conditions – from frigid cold to scorching heat – unlocking new possibilities for durability and functionality.”
These advancements fuel further innovation and propel G-Form into new industries, he said.
G-Form’s success, Giovanucci said, stems from a straightforward philosophy.
“We recruit the finest talent, foster a supportive and inspiring workplace, and clearly communicate our vision and values,” he said. “Then, we step back and empower our team to excel, giving them the freedom to innovate and create without constraints. This approach unleashes their brilliance, driving extraordinary results.”
That innovative spirit led to the release of RE ZRO, a plant-based thermoplastic material with a unique supermolecule assembly that provides powerful shock absorption through a process of fracture and recombination. RE ZRO pads are naturally soft and flexible without the need for added shells or hard components.
“We are constantly innovating with evolutions of SmartFlex, RE ZRO and other confidential technologies,” Fisher said.
G-Form is focusing on critical body parts such as the head and chest, he said. Specifically, brain trauma and commotio cordis – a rare but potentially fatal condition that occurs when a sudden, blunt impact to the chest causes the heart to stop beating.
G-Form is proud to manufacture its protective gear in Rhode Island, relying heavily on the local community and workforce.
“Though Rhode Island may be the smallest state, its employees shine as some of the nation’s brightest and most dedicated innovators,” Giovanucci said. “Our Rhode Island team embodies an unparalleled work ethic, blending brilliance with relentless creativity to produce world-class solutions. These exceptional individuals drive progress and set a standard of excellence that inspires us all.”
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, G-Form was faced with the real possibility of closure. The company responded by designing and producing personal protective equipment such as face shields for first responders. As demand for the face shields increased, the company partnered with five other Rhode Island companies to create a production network. Today, G-Form continues that tradition by sharing expertise with other brands, empowering those partners to enhance their own offerings.
“G-Form is a tenacious company with a scrappy spirit, which drives us to innovate, no matter the odds,” Giovanucci said. “We are thrilled by the wealth of opportunities on our horizon and are meticulously developing a dynamic strategic plan to harness these possibilities, positioning us to thrive and innovate with purpose and precision.”
