How Five Boston brothers out “caulk” gunned business giants GE and ICI.
Five brothers have developed a new patented self-opening nozzle for adhesives and sealants. Smartnozzle makes opening cartridges simple and easy. The patent rights to this invention are up for auction.
WAYLAND, MA (PRWEB) July 8, 2005
Sealant and adhesive cartridges have
always been hard to open for both consumers and construction professionals
alike. The five brothers solved this problem by patenting Smartnozzle™ - a
self-opening nozzle design. Almost one billion cartridges are sold each year
under major brand names like Liquid Nails™, GE Sealants™ and DAP™.
The
five Jackman brothers designed a set of plastic teeth into the nozzle design so
that pumping the caulk gun handle pushes the contents and the seal onto the
teeth. It is so simple, elegant and inexpensive that they went on to create full
working samples using hand made parts and jigs. When shown the samples 72% of
users said they would switch to the product with Smartnozzle. Preference at that
level is a marketing dream.
See http://www.jgk-re-investor/smartnozzle.php for more
information.
The Problem with Cartridges
Virtually every cartridge is
opened the same way. You cut off the end of the plastic nozzle and poke
something down the nozzle to pierce the foil seal. Does that sound easy? Well
imagine that you are on a roof trying to fix a shingle with roofing adhesive.
You realize you have nothing to poke down the nozzle to break the seal. Ask any
experienced builder--it happens all the time.
So you try a nail you have in
your pocket but it isn’t long enough or thin enough.
You try a twig from an
overhanging tree but that isn’t smooth or straight enough.
You trudge down
to the basement and eventually settle on a piece of coat hanger. And hallelujah,
that works!
But it should not be this difficult!
And now you have a piece
of hanger wire covered with sticky goo (a technical term) so what do you do with
that? The product is both smelly and toxic. A rag? Some leaves? Your pant leg?
It has created another problem. The companies are well aware of the mess,
inconvenience and environmental problems as their customer service groups have
high level of calls about it but just couldn’t solve it. The problem is somewhat
analogous to the issues created by the old ring-pulls on cans.
Benefits
to Users and Companies
Consumers have an easier, cleaner and more convenient
cartridge.
Manufacturers get:
a) minimal switch
over costs
b) minimal additional per part costs
c) a clear defensive or
offensive strategic marketing advantage
d) a high brand preference. 72% of
users would switch to the product with Smartnozzle.
Ironically the
brothers who have over 150 years of experience in furniture making and
construction have had trouble marketing this in the U.S. While the companies
that produce the end product like ICI, are very interested, the key U.S.
packaging suppliers Sonoco and Caraustar have shown only moderate interest and
without them Smartnozzle won’t get made in the US. The brothers now think that
Smartnozzle is most likely to be sold to a foreign buyer.
John Jackman
who has worked in construction and furniture building for over 30 years said
“The benefits of Smartnozzle are obvious so we are disappointed. We still hold
out hope that a US "white knight" will see the potential and save the
day".
Regardless the brothers firmly believe that Smartnozzle is an idea
“whose time has come”. So, in what they believe is a first for the packaging
industry, the brothers have decided that the two Smartnozzle patents will be
auctioned. Notifications have already gone out to interested parties in the U.S.
and overseas. The auction closes at the end of July.
For More
Information Contact:
John G Kelly
781-405-6772
http://www.jgk-re-investor/smartnozzle.php
PO Box 5261
Wayland MA 01778
Patents 6,029,856 and 6,578,737
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/7/prweb253416.htm