Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Innovation in design: an interview with Curt Scadden of Erecta-Rack

A little over a year ago, I came across a product called the Erecta Rack. My company does a lot of new construction homes and we are always looking for ways increase productivity and protect finished doors and trim from damage during the construction process. We tried one of the racks and I wrote about it here. The word spread about the rack on an online forum, Paint Talk, from other painters and soon several of us had ordered them. I kept in touch with Curt Scadden, the co owner, and I may have mentioned the rack a few times in the Social Media sites I frequent!
I was interested in how the rack came about, so I asked Curt a few questions, and he was his usual, responsive self!

How did you become involved in the creation of the rack?

When my wife and I built our home a few years ago, we decided to do all of the painting and finishing ourselves.  Before we got started, we searched all over for some sort of drying rack that we could use for all of the trim, doors, tongue and groove planks, exterior trim, etc.  There just wasn’t anything on the market that could satisfy all our requirements for a reasonable price.  I had an idea and ended up building a prototype rack system, which worked remarkably well.Did you come up with the design?

Yes.  We hope to be awarded a US Patent within the next few months.How long was the process between concept and production?

It was a couple of years from the time we built the first prototype system until the time my business partner and I decided to start a new company and develop the rack system.   It took about eight months from company start-up to production.Was there input from painters along the way?

Due the confidentiality, we couldn’t publicly disclose the design until we filed a provisional patent application. Once that was in place, we have been very open to feedback and suggestions.  We feel that the most valuable feedback comes from the customer, which makes the them a crucial component to product development. How long has the rack been out?

Approximately 18 months.What has been the response to the rack from painters that have purchased it ?

We have had an overwhelmingly positive response from painters as well as woodworkers.Has the design changed due to feedback from painters?

The basic design hasn’t changed, but user feedback has proven to be invaluable in developing upcoming accessories and upgrades.How have you advertised the rack?

Being a small company, our advertising budget is limited.  We currently advertise on the web, but the best way to get the word out is through painting and finishing forums such as painttalk.com and blogs such as topcoatreview.com and bloggingpainters.com.  Marketing has truly been the most difficult part of launching a new product.  A very special thank you to Topcoat Finishes and RC Painting for taking a chance on a new product and for the continued support!Any new features or products coming out?

Yes, we are working on several upgrades and accessories that will expand the Erecta-Rack offering and provide a complete package that we hope will appeal to an even wider range of painting and finishing techniques.

 

We look forward to seeing what Curt and his crew at Erecta Rack come up with nest. In the past they have been responsive to the painters needs, and recently were one of the sponsors of the Shoot Out Blogging Contest. Congratulations to Regina Garay, soon to be another happy user!

To see the latest review of the Erecta Rack, check out Dean Veltmans’s review here.

Click here to see what other’s have to say about the Erecta Rack. Erecta Rack on Facebook

The Blogging Painters would like to thank Curt for his contributions and continued support to the industry!

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Editors note: Curt is continuing to use feedback from painters to improve the Erecta Rack, see the latest from Scott over at Topcoat Review.

10 thoughts on “Innovation in design: an interview with Curt Scadden of Erecta-Rack

  1. I’m so happy I won the Erecta-Rack and look forward to using it and blogging about it! Thank you — it looks like a wonderful, needed product!

  2. Thanks Andy, good to know that they are available “across the pond”. Curt has been very helpful to us, it is nice to see a manufacturer that interacts so well with the end user!

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