Gripple helps local tradesmen to realise what they thought was an impossible dream
25th February 2014
Local self-employed tradesmen, Dave Bostock and Paul Smith designed a solution to an annoying electricians' problem but they but did not know how to make a business out of it.
A visit to Incub, the innovation department at Sheffield's Gripple Limited, renowned for turning dreams into reality, followed and its attested help was forthcoming. The 'light bulb moment' had come to builder Dave when watching an electrician struggling to feed wires through the outside wall of a house. The concept was simple enough: design a drill with an extruded plastic sleeve that would enable someone to drill through a cavity wall, leave the extrusion in place and then it would be easy to pass numerous cables and wires through it thereby saving time and money! After taking their early prototype into Incub, Dave and Paul, an engineer received help with funding, patent applications, CAD drawings, rapid prototyping, marketing and logistics to ensure that their idea would turn into a real business - Conxa - with an actual packaged product which is about to be launched. Dave and Paul said: -We wouldn't have had a business if it wasn't for Gripple. Gordon Macrae, Gripple's special projects manager, commented: -All Conxa components are made by companies with a Sheffield postcode. With our support they have a better product, a more robust business plan and they have brought it to market much quicker. -Incub is a flexible incubator; we do different things for different people, depending on their requirements. We're seeing a company or an individual every week, with a preference for ideas in construction, green energy, food production and logistics. The market opportunity for Conxa is huge. The roll-out of the smart metering scheme will involve the installation of 30 million meters into residential and commercial properties. -Gas fitters, electricians, CCTV installers, Sky installers, BT Openreach installers they are all potential customers, says Bostock. The Conxa e-commerce, packing and fulfilment will be handled by Emmaus, a homeless charity based in a nearby steel mill that will also serve as Conxa's office. As a big company, Gripple pledged to help Conxa to grow under the government's newly-launched initiative - The Business Exchange. Anyone who has an innovative idea or a small business needing support can contact Gordon Macrae at Incub on 0114 2288 659 , gripple.com or greatbusinessexchange.co.uk
