Reebok Tie-In

Have you heard of JUNK Brands?

The fast-growing entrepreneurial business headquartered in Bentonville has partnered with global fitness brand Reebok to create a custom, co-branded performance headband to be sold on the Reebok website and at its new concept FitHub stores.

JUNK Brands, founded in 2011 by Northwest Arkansas native Kourtney Barrett, specializes in high-performance headbands and other fitness gear.

It appears this project will increase the young company’s brand awareness and credibility. Barrett tells us she is in discussions to make JUNK headbands a part of the athlete uniforms for the 2014 CrossFit Games, a competitive fitness event sponsored by Reebok and broadcast nationally by ESPN.

“Pretty remarkable given that Reebok is an apparel company and could do this in-house, but instead decided to co-brand with a small company and help us grow,” Barrett said. “Kind of a David and Goliath situation.”

And because it designs and manufactures its products locally, Barrett said the Reebok deal has helped increase the JUNK workforce by 30 percent.

Barrett also told us that JUNK apparel is also available at sporting goods chain Scheels All Sports — 24 locations in nine states — and she is nearing a deal with Dick’s Sporting Goods for a three-store and e-commerce test.