THE FATHER OF INVENTION

INNOVATE, REFINE, IMPROVE

“The first step is spotting a gap in the market,” says Colleen McCoy of J G McCoy Engineering, “then the hard part begins; developing something that is trustworthy, fulfils a need, and is cost effective.”

The process of invention is one that we don’t really think much about; people are inspired, they imagine a product, they build and refine the product and then, hopefully, send it to market. Quite often a person will think of something that would make their lives easier, but rarely do they take the difficult next step towards developing and refining a product.

The father/daughter team behind JG McCoy Engineering has made a business out doing just this after James McCoy realised that his passion for inventions and design, which he was already working on out-of-hours, could offer solutions to common problems for people on building sites. As a result of this he and his daughter Colleen set up the business in 2007, with the intention of offering products with real-world applications to the construction industry.

James McCoy was working in private contracting and using evenings and weekends to make improvements on tools and processes that he used. One of these was the now patented JG McCoy Kicker System; a simple wire-formed bracket that offers a fast, accurate and easy system for casting monolithic concrete upstand details.

Not only does this innovative design reduce the risk of accidents around site, and the likelihood of accidents from power saw usage, it also cuts down on waste and reduces carbon footprints.

“He’s able to come up with these ideas because he’s lived it, he worked on sites for years and knows not just how people work in the real world, but also what businesses are looking for, and where their stressors might be.” Says Colleen; “I think it’s difficult to exactly say when or where an idea for a new product might come from, all of our products have been born as my father has just done what he enjoys; he likes refining things and creating solutions to problems that he has faced.”

It was only once he started experimenting with the idea for the Kicker System, that James and his daughter realised this was a design that could be marketable to other businesses, and work really began to refine, improve and test the Kickers.

Backers are needed to help get items to market, and it’s when talking to investors and potential buyers, that James’ experience is also crucial. “He knows exactly what he is talking about, and how a new product will help out, both in terms of what the workers will think of it, and what it will do for management.”

Aware that you are only as good as your product, the Kicker was put through very stringent testing, culminating in a rather ad hoc experiment. “We were just about to order 25,000 parts, and a labourer called Durken decided to experiment with it. When he stood on it, it collapsed.” These items aren’t supposed to be stood on, but James knew that these things happen on site, and it had to stand up to this level of use. “We had to scrap what we had and redesign it to make something better. Now we ask ourselves, can it take the weight of a man? Does it survive things it may not have been intended for, but may happen? We call it Durken testing!”

MY FATHER HAS JUST DONE WHAT HE ENJOYS; HE LIKES REFINING THINGS AND CREATING SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS THAT HE HAS FACED.

Their System was launched in 2008 and has been followed up by two more innovative products; their FAB Bench, and most recently, Box Beads which help with the professional finish for plastering around sockets.

To keep up with the old adage that the best things come in threes, Colleen has offered to share the McCoy top tips for bringing innovation to market with our readers. Firstly, a product must serve a purpose that is better and easier than any pre-existing method. Secondly, cost. Innovative design is an investment of wise spending from contractors rather than big spending. Lastly, trust in the product equals sales. J G McCoy will not release a product for tooling, let alone let it be taken to market, until it measures above and beyond the aims and objectives of site conditions. In short, getting innovation to market is no easy feat.

James McCoy continues design and invent things, using his experiences on site, and conversations with colleagues to inform where he should be looking, and to hone in on what they would find useful. The pace of patented designs from JG McCoy is increasing as he refines his processes, so we’ll expect their next great product soon.