Electrical Improvement Products LLC, Robert Jack
I’ve worked as an electrician and contractor since 1979. Over the years, I encountered a recurring problem on the job with no effective solution available, which inspired me to develop a specialty fastener for the electrical industry. That innovation earned both a patent and the Unishim® trademark in the USA and Canada. I then started a company to develop, manufacture, and distribute this product. With the experience and resources I gained through that process, I’m now developing additional electrical products that are easier and faster to use.
My shimming fastener is used to fasten electrical devices and fixtures. It provides mechanical positioning, securing the fixture or device in place and eliminating the need for wallboard overlap. It also prevents caving in and loosening from plug-in force used on tamper-resistant receptacles.
There are other products on the market made to solve the same issue and are made from plastic. My product is metal and has the potential to be approved as a grounding fastener along with positional fixture mounting. My competitor’s products don’t compare.
I became fed up one day while replacing old receptacles that were installed, where the wallboard was cut beyond the receptacles, plaster ears were overlapped and boxes were recessed very deep in the wall. I didn't have any good remedy for the situation. I had always thought I would develop a solution for this type of encounter, but this time, I actually sat down and began drawing ideas for a fastener to solve the issue.
I searched for a patent agent online, found one, and emailed him. He called me the next day. I then called a friend of mine who was an innovator and proficient in working with and developing small steel mechanical things and asked him to help me develop a fastener. He agreed right then, and we had a working prototype within one year.
Photo © Tom A. Mike
Most inventions are targeted at the consumer market—you can see this clearly by watching shows like Shark Tank. However, my products are designed specifically for the electrical industry and the tradespeople who work in it. This market is typically dominated by well-established companies, with very few independent inventors entering the space to both manufacture and distribute their own products. It’s a rare approach.
My patent agent mentioned that in his career, he had secured 120 patents for clients. Out of all those clients, I’m the only independent inventor who has attempted to bring their invention to market. I managed to partner with a third-party manufacturer and sell my product at a wholesale price point that allows me to use manufacturer representatives to distribute it to wholesalers. I accomplished this while working from home during the startup phase.
My company began as a side hustle while I continued running my electrical contracting business. My goal was to validate the market and refine processes before scaling up. Now, I’m scaling and transitioning into a commercial space to take the business to the next level.
I had heard about SCORE many years ago but had forgotten about it. While searching for a consultant with expertise in distribution within the electrical industry, I couldn’t find anyone suitable. Then, one day, it occurred to me to check if SCORE could help me find the right consultant. That very same day, I found the perfect mentor and connected with him. It was a game-changing moment.
SCORE really came through for me. I had read a book that outlined the top reasons startups fail, one of which was that founders often lack a deep understanding of their industry’s distribution channels. I was headed down the wrong path, trying to enter my industry without fully grasping the distribution process. I knew I needed a mentor with extensive experience in my field, and I found exactly that through SCORE.
Once I understood how the distribution chain in my industry really worked, I realized I had been using the wrong approach to launch my product. I then connected with an independent manufacturer’s representative with 25 years of industry experience who quickly grasped my product’s value and effectiveness. They immediately set to work getting my product on the shelves of distributors nationwide. With this newfound knowledge, I started making better-informed decisions that led to successful outcomes for my business.
When I first contacted Ken through the SCORE website contact form, he responded in about an hour, and I was on the phone talking with him immediately afterward. The conversation went great.
Ken’s background is impressive—he has deep experience with electrical materials and product distribution, having worked for the world’s largest electrical manufacturer and distributor. On top of that, he’s also been an electrical contractor and electrician, so he completely understood the problem my product was designed to solve and quickly grasped how it worked. He was genuinely enthusiastic about helping me bring it to market.
From our conversations, I quickly became familiar with how distribution in the industry works. Ken also gave me great marketing ideas. It is so incredible to have such a high-level executive on my team. And it’s free. It’s given me such great power and has elevated my confidence level, along with arming me with the information that brought traction to my product launch and set me on the path to success.
The knowledge I gained from my SCORE Mentor led me to find my seasoned manufacturer representative in the electrical industry. Things snowballed from there. We continually add stores that carry my product and reorder it continually around the country. Breaking into the Canadian market is in the works. Market fit became established very quickly. My Rep set me up with an online distributor specializing in innovative electrical products.
Today, my products are available on platforms like Amazon, Walmart, eBay, and Menards, along with my distributor’s ITDSales.com website. All of this progress began with the insights I gained from Ken Narod, my SCORE mentor.
Photo © Tom A. Mike
Determine the type of mentoring you require for your business. Then, bring your SCORE mentor on board early in your startup. Don’t wait like I did. Start early. Make it a priority. It will save you from wasting a lot of time and money that a startup can’t afford to lose. Entrepreneurs now live in a world where we have so many things that were once reserved only for large corporations and institutions. Technology brought us many of their tools, and then SCORE brought us their executives. It’s an amazing contribution to entrepreneurship that we need to utilize.
Feature photo: © Tom A. Mike
Electrical Contractor/Master Electrician background and experience. I have held executive...
