Houseboating Adventures - Issue 19 - (Page 35) for me! The powder skiing was great, however. HBA: How did your business experiences eventually get you into the marine industry? AK: I was one of the founders of Case Logic, the consumer electronics accessory company. I went to Asia for the first time in 1982 to source nylon bags for Case Logic. I was in charge of Case Logic’s Asian production for a few years. After that I developed the first soft sided fishing bags which I imported for Bass Pro Shops and Cabelas for a few year. I then sold my interest in Case Logic and moved to Phuket, Thailand for 14 months. That was enough beach and party time for me, it was time to get back to work! I founded Kwik Tek in 1991. Our first products were fishing bobbers, then suction cup marine accessories. We sold off the fishing bobbers around 1995. I wasn’t a fisherman, I was a water sports enthusiast! We introduced the Jet Logic around 1997, specializing in recreational PWC accessories. Our first inflatable towable product was Space Shuttle MTC, a combination towable tube/trailer. It held lots of camping and watersports gear and included a cargo net to hold them down. I had HBA: Were these designed by you and then manufactured overseas? AK: Most Kwik Tek, and Airhead items are designed by me or by graphic artists under my direction, then manufactured overseas. HBA: Today, you are best known for Airhead inflatables and related recreational products, but that is just one of the most visible company lines of your many entities. AK: We manufacture many unique marine accessories under the Kwik Tek brand. Our customers refer to them as the dumb little items that sell great year after year. We are great at filling niche opportunities. I needed a kill switch key for my boat and it took about a month to get from the OEM. I had to jerry rig a substitute so that I could start my boat in the meantime. I decided that to come out with an item with all kill switch keys from all OEMs on one lanyard. I ordered 2 of each and it took 6 moths to get them all. I knew I was on to something then! It’s been a great seller from day one. Checkout www.kwiktek.com. Dry Paks are submersible waterproof cases for cell phones, GPSs, VHF radios, cameras and any other item )6B@" A05("%C&5AB9&@ that you want to keep dry. We have a brand new Dry for MP3 players including iPODs, Nanos, and iPHONEs. Waterproof earbuds, a wrist band, lanyard and belt hooks are included for only $39 retail. Checkout www.drypakcase.com. Hull Hugrs are a better boat fender because the never roll up exposing your boat to damage like rounds fenders. Our Hull Hugr Contour Fenders are especially popular. They hinge at the rub rail, protecting gunwale and hull! We have the best PWC fender on the market by far within the Contour series. The original Hull Hugr is 6 fenders in one that fold up into a cushion. Check out www.hullhugr.com. Jet Logic is our brand for recreational PWC accessories including anchors, fenders, lanyards, tie-downs, paddles, ropes, whistles and more. When we started Jet Logic, the only accessories for PWCs were either performance accessories to squeeze out a few more mph or decorative accessories to dress them up. There was almost nothing available that was functional, to accommodate the needs for a day on the water. We filled that void. Check out www.jetlogic.com. HBA: Tell me the process for bringing a new idea to market. You have so many different niche’ products how do you keep each line fresh and up to date? AK: We prototype and test extensively before bringing a product to market. Once a product is on the market, we continue to test and improve. This is a never-ending process. http://www.drypakcase.com http://www.drypakcase.com http://www.hullhugr.com http://www.hullhugr.com http://www.jetlogic.com http://www.kwiktek.com
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