Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Hurricane Safety Systems Teams with MSU Business Students

TRAVERSE CITY, MI - When was the last time you ever heard about college students pleading with their professor to give them more work? Dr. Forrest Carter, Associate Professor at Michigan State University's College of Business, says that's pretty much what happened when students in his Marketing Strategy and Entrepreneurship Program discovered that Hurricane Safety Systems was looking for some creative marketing help.

"A number of my students are avid deer hunters and probably would have paid me to work on this project," says Carter. "Working with Hurricane is a unique opportunity for the students because it exposes them to the entire business process-from product conception, development, and now launch."

The PowerLOK™ by Hurricane Safety Systems is a palm sized, easy to use, tensioning device that provides a rock solid, fully adjustable, and ultra safe treestand attachment that-unlike ropes and ratchet straps-never needs replaced.

The PowerLOK™ is a Michigan made, high-tech product with wide array of applications far beyond hunting. This combined with the fascinating but somewhat tragic story behind Hurricane's founding was something that also was a big draw to the students, according to Carter.

Every year, treestand falls-not firearm-related accidents-are the leading cause of injury and death among hunters. In fact, some statistics say as many as one out of three hunters who use a treestand will eventually experience a fall. In 2011, a close friend and hunting partner of the Hurricane founding partners fell from an elevated treestand after the strap holding the stand to the tree suddenly broke. He is now a paraplegic.

"Most of treestand accidents are caused when hunters are getting in and out of the stand or by the failure of the ropes, ratchet straps, or other traditional fastening devices hunters use when attaching the stand to the tree," says Hurricane's Vice President of Marketing, David McCool, who has spent the last year spearheading the effort to develop and patent the PowerLOK™ technology. With so much money devoted to development, launching the PowerLOK™ in time for the 2012 hunting season will require a cost-effective and creative approach he believes MSU students can help provide.

"Hurricane is committed to bringing this product to the hunting community first," says Carter. "Like a consulting firm, my students will conduct surveys and focus groups in the hunting community as well as planning a launch event later this year. They will also be working on developing a marketing analysis to address the next best areas of opportunity for the product."

McCool and Carter agree in the vast, "Blue Ocean" potential for the PowerLOK™. From snowmobile and ATV trailers, canoe and bike racks, to even a military application-anywhere you need to tie, lash, or affix something securely-the American-made PowerLOK™ can be used.

"The possibilities are unique and exciting for Hurricane Safety Systems, not to mention the incredible learning experience this process is providing business students at MSU," says Carter.