What NHS does

NHS, Inc. is a privately held skateboard manufacturing and distribution company founded in 1973 in Santa Cruz, California by Richard Novak, Doug Haut, and Jay Shuirman. The company operates as a holding entity for a portfolio of at least eleven wholly-owned skate hardware and apparel brands spanning decks (Santa Cruz Skateboards, Creature Skateboards, Bullet), trucks (Independent Trucks, Krux Trucks), wheels (OJ Wheels, Ricta Wheels, Slime Balls Wheels), bearings (Bronson Speed Co.), grip tape (Mob Grip), and apparel/accessories (Nor Cal). Underlying technology centers on patented skateboard deck construction (US Pat. Nos. 8807582, 8087681, 8419026, 7748725) and an extensive international patent estate for skateboard truck geometry covering the US, EU, Germany, China, Taiwan, Australia, and Mexico.

The company monetizes through two parallel channels. The direct-to-consumer NHS Skate Direct platform (nhsskatedirect.com) sells the full brand portfolio to individual skateboarders globally, while NHS B2B (nhsb2b.com) provides wholesale pricing and bulk ordering to skate shops and retailers worldwide. Warranty terms vary by product category - skateboards 120 days, trucks lifetime, apparel 90 days, snowboards 1 year. NHS markets its brands through owned brand-specific websites, Instagram organic social, and Mailchimp-driven email campaigns, with brand storytelling centered on heritage, rider culture, and Santa Cruz skateboarding identity.

NHS is governed under California law, headquartered at 104 Bronson Street STE 9 in Santa Cruz, and operates with an explicitly stated North America geographic focus. The company shows no signs of external private equity or strategic acquirer ownership based on available sources, and the ownership structure is described as founder/management-held, though specific cap table details are not disclosed. No revenue, headcount, funding rounds, M&A transactions, or recent leadership changes are disclosed in the available data, limiting quantitative assessment of the business.

Name

NHS

Legal name

NHS, Inc.

Website

https://nhs-inc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Short description

NHS, Inc. is a privately held skateboard manufacturer and distributor founded in 1973, operating wholly-owned brands including Santa Cruz Skateboards, Independent Trucks, OJ Wheels, and Mob Grip, sold through DTC e-commerce and a global B2B wholesale platform to skateboarders and skate shops.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Skateboard Hardware and Components

NAICS

Sporting and Athletic Goods Manufacturing (33992), Sporting and Recreational Goods and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (42391), Sporting Goods Retailers (45911)

SIC

Games, Toys & Children's Vehicles (No Dolls & Bicycles) (3944)

akta.pro primary industry

Electric Skateboards & Longboards (CRACASAC)

Keywords

• Skateboard manufacturing
• Skateboard components
• Skateboard decks
• Skateboard trucks
• Skateboard hardware

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Cruz

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Direct-to-Consumer Skateboard Products: NHS generates revenue through direct sales of skateboard components (decks, trucks, wheels, bearings, grip tape) to end consumers via nhsskatedirect.com. Products include Santa Cruz Skateboards, Independent Trucks, OJ Wheels, Ricta Wheels, Mob Grip, Krux Trucks, Bullet, Slime Balls, and Bronson Speed Co. products.
2. B2B Wholesale Distribution: Revenue from wholesale distribution of skateboard components and accessories to skate shops and retailers via nhsb2b.com platform.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

NHS, Inc. manufactures and distributes skateboard hardware — including decks, trucks, wheels, bearings, and grip tape — through a portfolio of owned legacy brands such as Santa Cruz Skateboards, Independent Trucks, OJ Wheels, Ricta Wheels, Mob Grip, Krux Trucks, Bronson Speed Co., Creature, Slime Balls, and Bullet. Products are sold directly to consumers via NHS Skate Direct and at wholesale to skate shops and retailers via NHS B2B.

Product overview

NHS, Inc. is a skateboard manufacturing and distribution company established in 1973 by Richard Novak, Doug Haut, and Jay Shuirman in Santa Cruz, California. The company operates as a holding company for a portfolio of skateboard component brands and operates two e-commerce platforms. The core product portfolio includes skateboard decks (Santa Cruz Skateboards, Creature Skateboards, Bullet), trucks (Independent Trucks, Krux Trucks), wheels (OJ Wheels, Ricta Wheels, Slime Balls Wheels), bearings (Bronson Speed Co), and grip tape (Mob Grip). These components are sold through NHS Skate Direct (DTC e-commerce) and NHS B2B (wholesale). The company also holds multiple patents for skateboard deck and truck innovations, including designs for improved deck construction and truck geometry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Santa Cruz Skateboards: Skateboard decks and complete skateboards
• Independent Trucks
• Creature Skateboards
• OJ Wheels
• Ricta Wheels
• Mob Grip
• Krux Trucks
• Slime Balls Wheels
• Bullet Skateboards
• Nor Cal
• Bronson Speed Co.

Products and services

• Santa Cruz Skateboards

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Powell-Peralta: Iconic skateboard deck brand and parent of Bones Wheels and Bones Bearings — the most direct competitor to NHS's deck brands (Santa Cruz, Creature, Bullet) and wheel/bearing brands (OJ, Ricta, Bronson). Closest comparable heritage skateboard manufacturer with global distribution.
• Tum Yeto Inc. Privately held skateboarding holding company that owns Foundation Skateboards, Toy Machine, Pig, and Ruckus. Operates as a multi-brand skateboard deck manufacturer and distributor with a comparable heritage-driven portfolio model to NHS.
• Dwindle Distribution: Distributor of multiple skateboard deck brands including Almost, Blind, Enjoi, Darkstar, Speed Demons, and Cliché. Directly comparable as a multi-brand skate distribution platform serving global skate shops, paralleling NHS's B2B wholesale model.
• Element Skateboards: Major skateboard deck and apparel brand, now under Nidecker Group, competing with Santa Cruz and Creature in the deck category with similar heritage positioning, pro-team marketing, and global skate shop distribution.
• Thunder Trucks: Premium skateboard truck manufacturer and direct competitor to NHS's Independent Trucks and Krux brands. Closest comparable in the skateboard truck category with similar performance-driven positioning and team rider marketing.
• Venture Trucks: Skateboard truck brand competing head-to-head with Independent and Krux in the performance skateboard truck market, with overlapping customer base of serious skateboarders and core skate shop distribution.
• Spitfire Wheels: Skateboard wheel brand under Deluxe Distribution, competing directly with NHS's OJ Wheels, Ricta Wheels, and Slime Balls Wheels in urethane skateboard wheels across street, park, and vert disciplines.
• Plan B Skateboards: Iconic skateboard deck brand with comparable heritage (founded 1991) competing directly with Santa Cruz Skateboards, Creature, and Bullet for pro-team talent, shelf space at skate shops, and rider mind-share.
• Flip Skateboards: Heritage skateboard deck brand under Flip SAS/Dwindle ecosystem with comparable global distribution and team-driven marketing approach targeting the same core skateboarder demographic as NHS deck brands.
• Zero Skateboards: Skateboard deck brand owned by Jamie Thomas, distributed through Dwindle. Comparable to Creature and Bullet as a heritage deck brand targeting core skateboarders with similar price points and shop-level distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/eusweesh
• Facebookfacebook.com/nhs.inc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nhs---santa-cruz-surfboards

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about NHS