Amazon keeps small business “one step ahead” as it scales globally

A Pennsylvania startup evolves into a multimillion-dollar business supported by Amazon’s data insights and seller tools, as founder Garrett Drumheller expands from his parents’ garage to serving customers worldwide.

Just four years after launching on Amazon, a Pennsylvania-based fitness equipment company is seeing remarkable growth. Founder Garrett Drumheller projects a 400% revenue increase this year as the company prepares to enter global markets—momentum he sees as just the beginning.

“We’re going international, and we’re going to do it with Amazon because of how easy they make it,” said Drumheller. “Amazon takes care of all the export and shipping complexities internally so that we can focus on marketing, creating good listings, and selling great products.”

Like many successful small businesses in Amazon’s store, where independent sellers now account for more than 60% of sales, Nordstick started with a practical solution to a common problem. The journey began in a physical therapy clinic, where Drumheller watched collegiate athletes struggle with hamstring injuries. 

“The hardest thing was seeing an athlete sit on the sidelines and watch their four-year college career pass them by,” he said.

His solution was ingeniously simple: a makeshift device cobbled together from a rolling pin and a ratchet strap.

That improvised tool evolved into the Nordstick, a compact strength trainer designed to prevent hamstring injuries and enhance athletic performance. After months of research and development, Drumheller turned his parents’ garage into a warehouse and launched in the Amazon store in 2021.

“The biggest change I’ve seen for sellers over the past few years is the data suite that Amazon provides,” he explained. “Amazon’s Brand Analytics gives us what we need to make informed decisions about our brand’s growth and even product line expansion. When I look at trends, I rely on Amazon’s data because it reflects genuine customer buying behavior.”

Drumheller considers the store’s review system equally crucial for business decisions, complementing the insights from Amazon’s data tools.

“Amazon’s reviews are seen as a reliable source of information,” he said. “Even when I’m researching something, I check Amazon first to gauge how a product is performing.”

For Nordstick, these verified customer experiences have become fundamental in building credibility, especially as the company prepares to sell in Canada and Europe—where customer interest is already strong.

So strong, that Drumheller explained many European customers are already buying Nordstick products through freight forwarder services, paying more in shipping than the actual product.

“Our product’s designed for smaller compact fitness environments, that’s why there’s so much interest,” he explained. “Getting our products to European customers quickly and affordably will be a game-changer.”

With plans to launch five new products in the next few months, Drumheller is also evaluating additional Amazon tools to further accelerate growth. Supply Chain by Amazon tops his priority list—a service that would allow Nordstick to ship products directly from manufacturers overseas to customer’s doors through Amazon’s fulfillment centers across the world. He’s also exploring Amazon’s Multi-Channel Fulfillment, which gives him the ability to use Amazon’s delivery network to fulfill orders from his own website and other sales channels, not just those made in Amazon’s store.

“I know Amazon is always going to be one step ahead of us, making the selling experience better,” said Drumheller. “Through Amazon, everything compounds. If you focus on looking at the data and leveraging your successes, it amplifies your growth. We’re reaping the benefits of the learnings we’ve made over the past three years.”

From a physical therapy innovation to an expanding international brand, Nordstick’s trajectory has exceeded its founder’s expectations.

“I never really thought we would sell beyond a few states and here we are selling worldwide to multiple countries,” Drumheller reflected. “It’s kind of a dream come true.”