It’s fair to say that SmileDirectClub co-founder Alex Fenkell had a huge 2019. His company, now five years old, experienced more than a handful of major milestones, having grown from a two-man operation with co-founder Jordan Katzman in Detroit to become the Nashville-based leading provider of teledentistry services with an over 95% market share. With over 300 SmileShops and a team of more than 6,000 employees, they’ve helped over 750,000 people and counting get the smiles they’ve always wanted at more affordable prices than ever before.
Today, we’re taking a moment to celebrate Fenkell and SmileDirectClub’s achievements over the course of the year.
Transforming Smiles All Over The World
After expanding into the United Kingdom and Australia, this October, SmileDirectClub launched in New Zealand. They opened their first SmileShops in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch, offering doctor-directed remote clear aligner therapy available at a flat rate that totals less than half the national average – an incredible value, especially because orthodontic care is not paid for at all by the country’s publicly funded dental care system.
Just weeks later, they also opened the first SmileShops in both Dublin and Cork, Ireland. While Ireland offers publicly funded orthodontic care, such funding is extraordinarily limited, only permitting funding for traditional, unsightly metal braces and even then, only to teenagers suffering from extreme malocclusion. With 57% of Irish adults surveyed expressing insecurity about their smile, it’s clear that the SDC platform is a life-changing, remarkably affordable option to help people get the smiles they’ve always wanted.
Meanwhile, in Canada, SmileDirectClub partnered with Shoppers Drug Mart to open in-store SmileShops in a number of locations, including Etobicoke and Brampton, as part of a pilot program, further growing their presence in the North American country. With over 1,300 Shoppers Drug Mart locations across Canada, this partnership could soon be making orthodontic care more accessible for Canadians than ever before.
Celebrating with Draymond Green on #SmilePowered Day in New York City
In addition to being a three-time NBA champion, Golden State Warrior Draymond Green is also one of SmileDirectClub’s earliest members. After failing to wear his retainer as a teenager and breaking it in college, he accidentally undid years of expensive orthodontic work – and wanted to smile with confidence as he and his teammates shattered records and achieved things no basketball team before them ever had. Green turned to SmileDirectClub to get that smile.
Green liked the smile he was able to achieve using the SmileDirectClub platform so much that he invested in the company. On September 12, he, Fenkell, and Katzman took to Times Square in New York City for #SmilePowered Day. The trio celebrated the company’s incredible growth, posed for photos, and gave SmileDirectClub members and potential members an opportunity to show off great smiles of their very own.
Sharing Knowledge at Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Summit
Earlier this year, Fenkell made a triumphant return to his hometown of Detroit to speak at Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Summit on a retail panel with Heather Hasson, founder of FIGS, and Jeff Raider, co-founder of Harry’s Shave Club. Fenkell was humbled and thrilled to share the story of how he built a successful direct-to-consumer retail business, looking back to his first meeting with Katzman when they were both teenagers going through the misery of traditional orthodontics and the moment they realized that they had a great idea on their hands (and had the data to prove it).
Fenkell explained that more than anything else, successful entrepreneurs need to have vision, be able to execute, and have the passion to challenge and overcome the opposing forces that can often stand in between anyone looking to build a company from the ground up and meaningful, life-changing success.
Making More Appliances at the Best Price Ever with HP
In addition to being an industry leader in the direct to consumer orthodontics space, SmileDirectClub can now claim to have the largest 3D printing facility in the world. In a partnership with HP announced earlier this year, SmileDirectClub is now using 49 Jet Fusion 3D printing systems 24/7 in order to produce as many as 20 million mouth molds over the course of the next year.
By working with HP, SmileDirectClub has ensured that though the quantity of appliances they’re producing has grown significantly, the quality is getting even better. HP’s data intelligence solutions make it easier than ever to 3D print and custom manufacture orthodontics using BPA-free plastics. They also now have the power to recycle used and unused materials by melting them down and turning them into new plastic pellets, which can then be used to make more mouth molds.
Giving the Gift of Grin
This October, SmileDirectClub gave 15 people the opportunity to win free aligner treatment – and a new smile. Contestants were given the opportunity to submit a photo and a story in 1,000 characters about what a new smile could mean for them and why they deserve the Gift of Grin. SmileDirectClub then shared these stories across social media for the entire month of October, announcing the final winner on October 31.
Winning entrants also have the opportunity to share their continuing journey as they transform their smiles over the course of their treatment.
In short, Fenkell and Katzman have come a long way since the early days of their company, originally known as SmileCareClub. As they continue their journey, expect to see more people around the world choosing the leading direct-to-consumer teledentistry platform to achieve the smiles of their dreams and make an even greater impact in the world.
