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Thank progress. Thank the first person ever to pound stone against stone, then to adhere a stick to the stone to transfer even more energy to the hammer. Thank the stone chip that became the blade with which to saw. Thank progress and the wooden spike that became the nail then the screw.

And thank Loyd Scott, a carpenter with 30 years in the trade who faced several problems on the jobsite. On construction sites in and around Macomb County, Michigan, Loyd needed a way to reach high places in tight quarters out of the way of other tradesmen. Sometimes, he needed a shelf to arrange larger tools. He needed a tool that could serve both as ladder and shelving and could be set up and taken down quickly. This tool needed to be simple, easy to carry, easy to transport, and, most of all, easy to use.

In the 1990s, with prototypes built to his specs by a welder, Loyd began to use his new tool on jobsites. Other trades took notice. Electricians found use for Loyd’s tool when wiring at ceiling level. Other carpenters found use for Loyd’s tool when raising roof trusses for installation. Using Loyd’s tool, they felt safer than they did when balancing themselves along the roof line. Loyd’s tool grew in popularity.

One day, Loyd left his new tool at home. On the jobsite, the tradesmen complained. Loyd’s tool had made their jobs easier and safer.

Loyd new he had a hit. He obtained a patent that same year, patent 7,360,627. And then…nothing. Loyd continued to use his tool with a promise that, one day, he’d bring his tool to market for the benefit of tradesmen across the country. One day, he promised himself.

Twenty years later, Loyd met Bill Bowser, an US ARMY Veteran with a keen business sense and a tenacity ten times any equal. A partnership was formed, a business plan drafted, promotional materials crafted. Through Bill, Loyd knew he would make progress on his promise.

The product made its debut at a Michigan builder’s show in 2014. The show was a success. Loyd’s new tool was named the show’s most innovative product. But then, the let-down – all Loyd and Bill had were the prototypes built 20 years before. Visitors to the builder’s show wanted to place orders. While demand for Loyd’s tool was high, supply was zero.

Loyd and Bill have developed a long term relationship with a world class manufacturer, Venture Manufacturing Group of Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. Venture saw in Loyd’s tool not only the many possibilities on the jobsite, but other uses as well – as shelving for pole barns, garages, and warehouses; as support for countertops and tables for persons with accessibility issues. More progress.

In 2015, the National Home Builders Association named Loyd’s tool the 2015 Innovative Safety Idea of the Year. The award gave Loyd, Bill, and Venture just the energy needed. Venture’s product engineers perfected the prototype. Product testing exceeded expectations. Venture’s manufacturing engineers calibrated machines on the shop floor, churning out Loyd’s tool by the hundreds.

Loyd’s promise has been reached. Now, you can have Loyd’s vision on your ever varying jobsites. Thank progress.

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