Capitalism with a conscience – Kevin Keeler’s motto
Capitalism with a conscience – Kevin Keeler’s motto.
This article originally ran in the New Plymouth News on March 4th, 2009 and was written by Anne Esplin
Kevin Keeler is an inventor, entrepreneur, semi-retired farrier, and horse-lover who lives in Star, Idaho and owns a booming market based business located in New Plymouth.
The secret to his success? – Provide the consumer with a high quality product that gives back more than the cost of the product.
His business is Equine Innovations, Inc. and his product is the Hoofjack®; a lightweight but durable hoof support system that horse owners, farriers, and veterinarians can use to support a horse’s hoof while performing hoof care procedures.
Kevin first realized the need for such a device when a horse that he was shoeing collapsed on him and took out his keen. Kevin admits that he is “not the first to develop such a device’” but is quick to point out the advantages of his product. The Hoofjack® base is made of linear polyethylene and weighs only 10 lbs making it not only easy to move but hard to damage.
The Hoofjack® cradles the horse’s hoof in suspended nylon webbing allowing it to rest directly under the horse, which increases the horse’s sense of balance and well-being.
Traditionally, farriers put the horse’s hoof between their legs and support the horse with their bodies. This means the horse’s leg is pulled to the side, which can be uncomfortable for many horses and causes them to shy away during hoof care procedures such as trimming, shoeing, bandaging, hoof picking, etc.
Placing the horse’s hoof in the cradle eliminates the need to put the hoof between your knees or support it with your hands and body making hoof care far more comfortable and safer for the person involved. In addition to the Hoofjack®, Kevin also created an attachment that allows veterinarians and equine dentists to support the horse’s head during dental/facial procedures.
Kevin’s latest invention is the Tooljack® – a portable tool cart that allows for quick, easy, access to tools. Originally intended to hold farrier tools, the Tooljack® is also proving to be successful in other markets such as motorcycle and auto mechanics. Kevin hopes that professionals in these fields will find this mobile, light-weight caddy a genuine asset in their business.
What started as a home-based business in 2000 has grown to a successful operation that has five full time employees, 250 farrier supply shops distributing the product, and a busy schedule for Kevin and his wife Dawn as they criss-cross the country attending trade shows and marketing their products.
Kevin emphasizes that people should never give up on their dreams. Hard work and patience (while seeking opportunities vigorously) are keys to success. Kevin also says he believes that trust in oneself, in family, and in providence are the keys to success in the American business market.
His own experience supports that belief. While being flown into Idaho’s backcountry to shoe horses, snow and cloud cover brought the private plane down in a high mountain canyon. The crash resulted in serious injuries for the pilot and the two passengers on board, forcing them to hike five miles to safety. While that is not the kind of providential package one would wish for, the crash was a blessing in disguise because it forced Kevin to trust in his own strength and lean on his family. The settlement from the crash also covered virtually all of Kevin’s marketing expenses, allowing his business to grow significantly.
Kevin also prides himself on making a high quality, American-made product. The Hoofjack® and Tooljack® base is made in Washington State and all the Hoofjack® and Tooljack® components are custom fabricated right here in New Plymouth by Bear Mountain Machine.
Kevin points out that some companies claim to sell American-made products even though some or most of their parts are manufactured abroad. They should say, “Assembled in America”, Kevin protests. Such products are not genuinely “American-made”. Kevin is proud to say that he is helping to create jobs and boosting his local economy by manufacturing products that use American made parts and that are assembled in our small, but proud town of New Plymouth, Idaho.
Posted in Testimonial