You could call 'em rock stars. Kartik Kamat and Zack Pennington, the 20-something partners behind the newly founded InnoTops LLC, are young, enthusiastic, and determined to make their mark in the stone industry.
Pennington, InnoTops chief marketing officer, however, swears the eight-month journey from start-up to developing and manufacturing the company's first product, the I-Brace, has been much more fun than being in a rock band. He should know, being a musician on the side.
"It's not nearly as exciting as the granite industry," he said during a recent telephone interview.
The two young inventors, based out of Louisville, KY, are now marketing their first product-the I-Brace, which offers a simple and effective alternative to the use of corbels in supporting overhanging counter-tops.
The use of corbels to support overhanging counter-tops constructed of granite or other stone is common throughout the industry, but Kamat points out they have many negatives not the least of which is posing a hazard to the tender noggins of unaware children. They also take up leg room.
Fittingly, Kamat said the I-Brace was developed to address a "pain point" for one of his customers. "We saw this is a solution to a pain point, which is the easy way to develop a product," Pennington said.
In minutes a worker can securely install IBraces with out the use of special hardware or tools. All they need is two to four I-Braces, a 2 x 4, screws, and construction adhesive.
"This is our debut product," Pennington said. "We've got some in our pipeline that we're trying to finish up to get out. It's one of many. We're hoping to have at least four or five more products in the next year."
The genesis of the I-Brace was a comment from one of Kamat's customers. He was quick to realize that finding a solution for this one customer would lead to a product with applications throughout the industry. "For as simple as it is, there is a lot of value in the product," he said.
"I'm just glad everyone else is as excited about it as we are," Pennington said. "We've already been using it in Kartik's shop. It's one thing for you to care about something. It's another for the market to care about it. It's great to see that."
Both partners are interested in looking for "pain points" --small problems faced by regular businesses-to solve by creating products that interest a broader audience. "If people do have ideas, they can send them to us," Kartik said. The secret to innovation is "taking a local concept to a final product," Pennington said. "We think our industry needs innovation, and so we're going to spend a lot of time and effort on innovation."
Kamat and Pennington are University of Louisville graduates. They met through the university's MBA program.
Founding InnoTops has been a lesson in entrepreneurship, Pennington said. "It's one thing to have an idea. It's another to have a product that is ready to go." Kartik is proudest "that people are going to use something that we have created. It really feels great that we have solved somebody's pain."
Kamat has grown up in the stone fabrication business, but it's more than a vocation for him. It's a passion. "I love stone. It is all that I talk about. The same divine force that made granite made us."
Pennington, is the front man for the company. "(Kartik is) the stone of the operation. I'm the polish."
The I-Brace fills a small but important need in the stone industry, Pennington said. "This product is a win for everyone involved. It's good for our customers. It's good for our fabricators. It's good for our distributors. It's good for us."
Although he has a business degree from the University of Louisville, Kamat's greatest teacher has been experience, he said. "I would call myself an expert --an expert is someone who has made all the mistakes in their small niche."
The partners founded InnoTops in October 2010. It has taken eight months to get the IBrace ready for production. During that time, the most important lesson that the partners have learned is to understand the whole life cycle of product development.
"You have to have your whole chain worked out from raw material to customer," Pennington said. "If you don't know every step along the way- where's it's going to go, what it's going to cost, who it's going to involve- you can't get a product out the door successfully."
"That might have been the toughest part of this process- getting all of our ducks in a row," Kamat said.
Braxton-Bragg has been instrumental in the launch of this product," Pennington said. "They've worked with us to make the I-Brace the best product it can be. They know their customers better than anyone, and their advice took our product to the next level. The people at Braxton-Bragg are a family, and we're glad to be part of that family."
Bill Hickey, Braxton-Bragg director of sales, said the product is a great fit for his company. "We're constantly on the lookout for the newest and greatest ideas for our industry."
Braxton-Bragg came into the picture when Kamat contacted the company to pitch his idea for the I-Brace, Hickey said. "He was very persistent. They came down to Knoxville and showed us the product. At that point, it really seemed to click that it was something we thought would be very successful."
The I-Brace is an example of a simple product that can boost fabricator profits for little investment, Hickey said. "The greatest thing about it is for $30-40 a fabricator can add 1014 square feet of countertop space. That in turn can make them an extra $600-$1,000 in the sale. It's a product that is very inexpensive but yet can allow them to make so much more profit.
"...This allows them to sell more square feet. They've already got the granite. Normally that extra piece is going into their scrap yard. They are paying for it, but they can't sell it.
Fabricators also don't have to worry about IBraces marring the appearance of their work. "It's invisible. It doesn't detract from the design of the cabinetry or the top," Hickey said. "Unless you're on your hands and knees, crawling around, you'll never see it."
Developed and manufactured in the USA, the thin-profile I-Brace installs in minutes without special hardware or tools. It offers a simple and effective alternative to the use of expensive and bulky corbels in supporting overhanging countertops. Below: I-Brace inventors Zack Pennington (L) and Kartik Kamat.
")