History of the Innovation Factory
How It All Started
On March 27 2001, Marvin Weinberger and his colleague Tucker Marion were on a flight from Philadelphia to San Francisco to pitch some product ideas to a prominent toy company.
In the course of the flight, Marvin turned to Tucker and complained about the ice and snow he had had to clear from his car before driving to the airport. Having grown up in Akron, Ohio Marvin knew from firsthand experience all about the challenges of winter driving. What was wrong with the common ice scraper that made it such a pain to clear ice from a windshield?
By the time they landed in San Francisco, Marvin and Tucker not only had analyzed the problem, but had sketched out real alternatives to the ineffective ice scrapers (and snow brushes) currently available. Here were some of their insights:
* Windshields are curved, so why use an ice scraper with a flat blade? The task calls for a flexible attack surface.
* Ice is really hard, but it becomes increasingly brittle as temperatures decrease. An Achilles heel! So why scrape at ice when you can crack it (‘tenderize’) instead to weaken the bond between ice and glass of the windshield.
* Typical ice scrapers force repetitive stress from the use of an awkward handle. It would be better to create an ergonomic tool (harnessing natural body motion) in order to maximize results while reducing the effort required.
* Why not incorporate a bulldozer-style blade to shove the ice and snow aside (instead of up your sleeve)?!
* Why are typical ice scrapers so cheaply made? The job calls for a professional grade product, able to take abuse and yet still get the job done throughout years of winter driving.
The conversation continued over the next few days and by the time they flew home to Philadelphia, Tucker and Marvin had decided to refocus their energies entirely on developing tools for safe winter driving. This was a good thing, since (as you probably guessed) the scheduled meeting in San Francisco was a bust.
From Concept to Launch in Nine Months
As their first step, the team embarked on an extensive process of fact gathering and analysis. Their research included a formal survey of more than 600 drivers (randomly selected, and drawn from across the regions of the United States).
Working with a virtual team of designers and engineers located across the country, Marvin and Tucker went through 17 initial concepts for what would become the IceDozer. By June of 2001 they settled on a workable design and built various-sized wooden models in order to test for ergonomic suitability and ‘handiness’.
Proceeding from scaled drawings, 3-D CAD models of the IceDozer were created and refined. Following a design-for-manufacturing philosophy, the team succeeded in simplifying the design from ten parts to just three injection-molded parts that would snap together during assembly. All of this would significantly decrease the costs of manufacturing.
Using a stereo lithography model Marvin and Tucker conducted a series of cold weather tests at a major aerospace laboratory. In a special test-chamber, they tested the model against various thicknesses of ice in order to verify the design. This was in August, and the outside temperature was nearly 100° F, but inside the test chamber everyone was bundled up against simulated weather that was nearly a hundred degrees colder!
After some necessary modifications, the IceDozer was sent off for virtual testing in the computer laboratory of Drexel University. The resulting finite element analysis revealed some weak spots that were then remedied. With the final design in hand, the team filed for utility and design patents.
Marvin and Tucker then turned to the internet to post an RFQ for the initial manufacturing of the IceDozer. A vendor in Indiana successfully bid on the job and produced thousands of units in time for product launch.
A Record of Dramatic Growth…and Then Disaster!
From January 18 through the end of March 2002, Innovation Factory conducted a test marketing campaign, selling products via its website. Orders of approximately $10,000 were received, based solely on enthusiastic press reviews appearing in various publications.
During our second season, winter 2002/2003, the Innovation Factory sold out its manufacturing capacity - shipping $180,000 worth of product primarily to online and catalog customers.
The 2003/2004 season held great promise. The Company invested to increase its manufacturing capabilities in order to meet anticipated demand from major retailers in both the United States and Canada. By November 2003, more than 100,000 products had been shipped and sales were projected to reach $1million.
But our reach had exceeded our grasp.
Instead of profitable sales to catalogs, the Company was scrambling to fill low-margin orders from retailers with expensive packaging requirements and costly shipping rules. To make matters worse, the newly-recruited independent sales representatives had committed the Company to overly generous payment terms.
The Company turned to its investors for more money and eventually resorted to financing its account receivables (on costly terms). But it was simply not enough.
After limping through the balance of the season, and disappointing many of its vendors and marketing partners along the way, the Innovation Factory was forced in May 2004 to file for protection from creditors under Chapter 7 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.
A Year of Lost Opportunities and then a Rebirth
The ensuing months were painful for everyone associated with the Innovation Factory, not least of all the Company’s largest creditor – Marvin Weinberger – who had also gone without pay since the Company’s founding.
An entire selling season was lost as the often inscrutable bankruptcy process ground on. Former vendors and shareholders were no longer returning Marvin’s calls. And Tucker Marion had moved on. Tucker subsequently earned his Ph.D. and is now an Assistant Professor at Northeastern University’s School of Technological Entrepreneurship..
Fed up with vague promises from presumptive white knights and other tire-kickers, Marvin decided to take matters back into his own hands. With the partnership of his wife Fran (shown here demonstrating the SnowMover) the Weinbergers mortgaged their home to submit a bid to purchase back the assets of the Innovation Factory.
The sale - to MIW Associates LLC – was approved by the Court and became official in May of 2005. A full year had passed since the Company filed for bankruptcy protection.
It took Marvin the balance of the summer (and tens of thousands of dollars) to physically relocate and refurbish the various physical assets and inventory of the Innovation Factory These assets had been held, under poor conditions, in the hands of various creditors in both the U.S. and Canada. During this time Marvin also contracted for warehouse and fulfillment as well as a new manufacturing vendor. He also visited with the USPTO examiner assigned to review the still-pending IceDozer utility patent.
All of this was accomplished by the beginning of September, but by then, it was too late to even attempt to sell products into retail distribution. It looked like the 2005-6 season might be lost when some authentic white knights came to the Company’s rescue.
Herrington Catalog and AutoSport Catalog, two of our earliest marketing partners, decided they were willing to give Marvin a second chance. Despite the late date, both catalogs placed large orders to help kick-start the re-launch of the Innovation Factory.
Where we are Today
Now, three years later, I can proudly report that we have successfully shipped tens of thousands of IceDozers. We have introduced the IceDozer Plus and are looking to bring a redesigned Mini IceDozer to the market. We will also be offering a dramatically upgraded SnowMover to help consumers cope with the mountains of snow which often blanket our vehicles.
And Now it’s Your Turn
We look forward to taking your order and hope that you’ll be as satisfied with your purchase as have the many previous customers who’ve taken the time to post their Testimonials on our website.
Meanwhile, we are already working on some of the new products that customers have already requested and hope that you’ll check in our progress from time-to-time. If you have any questions, comments, words of advice – or complaints - please don’t hesitate to contact me directly.
Yours respectfully,
Marvin Weinberger
Inventor-In-Chief
Winter Season 2008-9
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