The Inventors Council of Mid-Michigan is a Non-Profit Organization formed to help inventors pursue their dreams of bringing new and innovative products to market. Our goal is to help fellow inventors succeed in the most efficient and least costly manner possible by providing education and business networking.
President, Vice President & Directors
Mike Ball - President, Tim Langan - Vice President, Directors: Dick Farone - Treasurer & Evaluation, Bill Brabenec - Communications, Martin Sovis - Secretary, Jim Harris - Membership, Bill Thomas & Don Wildfong - Marketing; Ron Kilponen - Legal & Archives; Ray Kerspilo & Jim White - Directors at Large
Even if the below dates have not been updated it is almost always a safe bet that there is a 2nd Thursday 7:00PM meeting at Walli's every month except December when we usually have a field trip. Everyone is welcome and there is no admission fee. (We do happily accept tax deductible charitable donations!)
Next Council Meeting: June 12, 2008
June 12, 2008, 7:00 PM "In the gutter can be a good thing!" Frank Groth explains his new business and invention that keeps leaves out of home rain gutters.
Lately, Frank Groth has spent a lot of his time in the gutter. Not the ones at the sides of roads, but those on the eaves of houses. As tonight's speaker, he's going to describe how he developed his latest invention, the Rain Flow Gutter Protection solution.
Frank's approach to the homeowner's problem of leaves filling up the gutters and blocking the flow of water is a classic example of an inventive mind that looks at a problem and sees the solution contained in the problem itself.
Rather than struggle to keep leaves out, Frank beats them at their own game by filling the gutters before the leaves can. He packs the troughs with his special patented material that conforms to and fills any size gutter but allows water to flow easily – thus there's no room for leaves. They just dry up and blow away.
Installing Frank's gutter system couldn't be easier – just a big pair of scissors. No other tools are needed and the process has no impact on the roof, shingles or the gutters themselves.
Tonight's speaker has other inventions that are patented and on the market. Frank's "Chip Clip" is a million unit seller. He's also marketing his patented Drink Tags and his XLITE 110, a Christmas light switch that looks like a Christmas present and turns the tree lights on and off with a very convenient foot switch.
Inventing and marketing has been a 27-year career for St. Clair Shores resident Groth, who's son, Brian, is his current partner. Frank's presentation tonight will focus on the invention idea process with special emphasis on Perceived Value. It should be a very interesting program.
After the Speaker finishes, tonight's Inventors Workshop will be about "The Design of Your Product." Design and Engineering are not the same thing. We'll learn about Class A surfaces, Conceptual Design and Collaboration, Defining Design elements, Defining your product and its features, Mapping out a design plan, executing the design phase of your product and how to find design resources. Coordinator will be Mike Ball.
Future Meetings, Etc.
July 10, 2008, 7:00 PM A speaker is planned for tonight rather than our usual July "open floor networking" meeting.
Meeting Location
Walli's Restaurant & Banquet Center South at I-69 and Center Road (1341 S. Center Rd.) in Burton, Michigan. We will continue to meet at 7:00 PM on the second Thursday of each month, just as we have for the last 9 years. Food and beverage services are available, so come early and have dinner. See you there and bring your questions as we have the answers to help you with the next part of your journey of inventing.
A map to the location can be found by selecting the FAQ button on the left side of the screen.
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