West Michigan inventors say they’re flourishing, with new products set to hit the market by year’s end while others already have reached impressive milestones.
That’s good news in an economy where even large traditional industries like automotive and newspapers have had to do their share of reinventing themselves.
Some financial experts believe personal innovation is the key to getting the broader economy back on track. They call it “innovation economics,” and it focuses on new ideas, products and processes to restore economic growth.
Rhonda W. Geneva, a Spring Lake inventor, is doing her part to advance “innovation economics.” She is the inventor of the Style ‘n Wrap, a heat-resistant travel organizer for hair tools, and has a patent pending and opportunity to showcase her product on QVC.
One of the area’s most prominent inventions, the Klever Kutter by Jeff Kempker, Matt Jacobs and Orville Crain, recently surpassed 1 million units sold. Their company, Klever Innovations, sells the box cutters on the Internet for $2 each. They are manufactured at Advanced Molding Solutions in Grand Haven.
“Inventors are some of the people who can bring us out of the recession — I’m absolutely convinced of that,” said Muskegon inventor Orville Crain.
Photo by Muskegon Chronicle.