Recently, the Wall Street Journal published an article called “Workplace Wonderland,” which featured our creative workplace, Inventionland, and our CEO and founder, Mr. Davison!  Since the article was published, the United Inventors Association of America and Yahoo! Finance both republished the Journal’s post! 

This morning, we’ve got a special message from our CEO and founder, in response to the Wall Street Journal article and all the press that he’s received from it!

“I always dreamed of being in the Wall Street Journal when I was a boy in my teens, reviewing the paper with my grandfather.  This is one of the best days of my life.  A moment to reflect and be grateful for wonderful people who have, are and will shape my life and the Mission of Davison.  Happy New Year!

George… Aka Mr. D”

And, Mr. Davison wasn’t the only one who was impressed with the article… or Inventionland for that matter!  Thanks to Yahoo! Finance, who reposted “Workplace Wonderland,” many admirers have shared their comments on “America’s largest invention factory!”

We’ve listed ten of the most creative comments below: 

From Texas to Maryland to… Sweden… everyone’s noticing Inventionland!  So cool!

While you’ve been out preparing for all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, you may have missed some awesome media exposure that we’ve received!

Recently, Mr. Davison was the guest of honor on The Pittsburgh Technology Council’s Tech Vibe Radio.  In case you missed the informative broadcast, it’s now available online!

In the 12-minute segment, Tech Vibe Radio’s Jonathan Kersting interviewed Mr. Davison and he clued listeners in on how a new invention can go from an idea to a product on store shelves.

To listen in, click the above image and select “Davison International” or follow this link!

After that awesome segment, we were featured on www.allbusiness.com for past participation in the KISS 96.1 FM Stuff-A-Bus donation event, which benefits the Toys for Tots program.

Read the entire article by clicking the image below or by following this link!

Finally, on December 3rd, our creative-design facility, Inventionland, was featured on website design expert Mishil Patel’s online blog.  In the article, “The Creative Office of Inventionland,” Patel comments on how our creative workspace “provides one of the most intuitive work environments ever.”

Read the entire blog by clicking the image below or by following this link!

Keep your eyes peeled and your ears open for more awesome examples of Davison in the media and we’ll be sure to update you of any upcoming press!

Some of the toughest critics have chosen to put a Davison-designed product to the test.  This time it was a reader from Ingredient, “a magazine for kids curious about food,” who did a slice-by-slice examination of The Original Perfect Pizza Pan.

You may recall, the Perfect Pizza Pan was invented by none other than our President… when he was a client!  And, the rest, is well… history!

So, how did the Perfect Pizza Pan, which allows you to customize every slice of pizza, “pan” out, when Bridget in Minnesota put it to the test?

According to Bridget, the pan was easy to use and it worked on the first try, making it great for anyone who likes pizza – and who doesn’t like pizza?!

She also summed it up, saying, “Kids love it.  Adults have hardly any clean up and so, it’s fun for the whole family!”

And, we couldn’t agree more!  Congratulations to our inventor-President and everyone who worked on this exceptional product!

Read Bridget’s entire review by clicking here.

A typical project does not get a royalty agreement, sell in stores or generate a profit.

We’ve recently heard about an area community project that could use a shot in the arm – and fast!  There is an organized, grassroots campaign to acquire the Aspinwall Marina near Pittsburgh and turn it into a community park.

The campaign, referred to as The Aspinwall Riverfront Park Project, is working in coordination with Aspinwall Borough and Friends of the Riverfront to raise $2.3 million by September 30, 2011, in order to purchase the eight-acre lot, which would feature several trails, two retention ponds, plus the already working marina.

Not only is the effort near and dear to many community members, it is also a top priority for many members of the Davison team.  Mr. Davison has already made a generous donation and our Senior Director of Special Operations has been very active in the effort as well.

Our Senior Director of Special Operations serves as an Aspinwall Riverfront Park Project Steering Committee member and has helped to film and edit videos for the fundraising effort.  For him, the effort is even a bit more personal.

“I actively ride my bicycle and have a family with a three and four-year-old, so seeing the Aspinwall Riverfront Park become a reality is going to be great,” he said.  “The Aspinwall Riverfront Park is a big project of which I have spent many hours working on, so I am eager to see it become a success.”

And, the project is very close to becoming a reality.  As of the end of July, the group was just over $250,000 shy of the $2.3 million goal.  If they fall short of their goal, another group could buy the lot and develop it on their own.  This summer, it was nearly sold in order to become a 450-car parking lot.

According to our Senior Director of Special Operations, a park would a serve greater-community purpose than developing the space.

“Having a bicycle trail and riverfront access so close to home is going to be so beneficial to me and my family, and our community,”  he said.

To donate to the effort, you can visit either the Fox Chapel District Association or Friends of the Riverfront online.  Each site includes easy instructions to help you complete your donation.

You can also help by simply spreading the word!  Share the Aspinwall Riverfront Park Project website with family and friends, who may also want to help.

Finally, you can schedule a time to tour the property by contacting Project Coordinator Susan Crookston at scrookston@comcast.net.  Please keep in mind, for the time being, the park is still private property, so you are not able to visit the area on your own.

Learn more about the effort to acquire the Aspinwall Marina by visiting the Aspinwall Riverfront Park Project website today!

It’s only been a few months since we announced that Davison products have sold in more than 900 stores. Well, we’ve continued to add retailers at an incredible rate, and our total count of different stores that have carried Davison-designed products and packaging solutions has topped more than 1,000!

“Setting our mission one day to have inventions in 1,000 stores would be like a school boy believing he would have a Super Bowl ring on his finger someday,” said Founder and CEO George Davison to employees at a festive party held to celebrate the milestone.

“Well, the Walmart chain was just our first store, and we have been on this mission for 20-plus years,” he continued. “The once unthinkable has happened — our products have now sold in 1,000 different stores. It’s an incredible day for the company and for all of us. Thank you to everyone who has been part of this mission of making dreams come true.”

Although in business since 1989, all facets of the Davison Inventing Method were brought under one roof in Inventionland in 2006. Since then, Davison’s method has resulted in close to 200 additional products – with the total approaching 250 – that have sold in stores or other retailers.

Recently added stores include big names such as Ross and Shop NBC. In addition, numerous niche retailers that specialize in a particular category, such as pets, health and wellness, and cooking, added many products and product lines with the Davison “D” to their shelves, bringing up our total product count as well as store count.

“I find it extremely rewarding to be able to help the everyday ‘idea person’ bring their idea for a new product to life, and then hear their reaction after they actually see it in packaging and on the store shelf,” Davison said. “There’s nothing more exciting.”

In a recent profile of Inventionland on the CBS “Early Show,” reporter Taryn Winter Brill explained that Davison’s “assembly-line approach to trial and error has led products to find success in over 1,000 retailers.” The creative piece showed numerous successful products that got their start in Davison’s creative design facility.

Inventionland also offered the perfect setting for the celebratory gala. Following a dazzling laser-light show, Davison addressed the crowd from a rock in “Pondering Pond.”

“It started with an idea to get an invention to the stores one day,” said Davison, as he opened a 9-liter bottle of champagne (with a dry, stubborn cork) to cheers from hundreds of employees.

“The light at the end of the tunnel was so far away, I didn’t know if we’d ever reach it … We climbed that hill, and we’re smashing through 1,000 stores today!”

Another D-lightful product that we created for a client and that was licensed by Health Enterprises soon will be headed to CVS! Health Enterprises recently got the “green light from CVS” on the 6-in-1 Manicure Multitool, which will be sold under the “Portables, by Essence of Beauty” brand name.

“Congratulations to our client, Cathalene,” said Davison’s VP of Licensing. “Her dream is about to come true!”

The Design team quickly made two more prototypes for CVS, as the retailer, which has more then 7,000 stores, prepared to add the product to store shelves.

“We’ve been working on that one on and off for 2½ years, so I’m very glad it has finally found a home!” said Davison’s Corporate Creative Coach. “I think everyone on my team has touched it in one way or another.”

The full manicure set has a nail file, two-sided nail buffer, cuticle pusher, two-sided cleaning stick, nail brush and nail clippers. By combining six tools into one convenient, compact tool, it is perfect for enhancing nails anytime, anywhere! It also has a silicone, non-slip grip that is gentle on the fingers.

The 6-in-1 Manicure Multitool is expected to hit CVS stores in December… what a perfect stocking stuffer, and what a great gift for our client! Congratulations, Cathalene, and to everyone who worked on this awesome new product!

The client has not made a net profit from this product. A typical project does not get a royalty agreement, sell in stores or generate a profit.

(Please be advised – There is a brief commercial)

Davison’s Inventionland was viewed by millions of Americans in an outstanding piece today on the CBS Early Show!

In the segment, Founder and CEO George Davison takes wide-eyed CBS reporter Taryn Winter Brill through the secret entrance into the facility that, she says, “would make Willy Wonka jealous.” Brill tells the audience that the one-of-a-kind workspace is “an invention in its own right.”

As he takes her on a tour of “the world’s most creative workplace,” the reporter explains how Inventionland came to be and how products are invented using Davison’s nine-step method and assembly line approach, which has led to products in over 1,000 different stores!

Jean, inventor of the Meatball Baker, also is featured and shows how the company turned her dream into a reality. The interview with the Minnesota grandmother affirms Davison’s assertion that the best thing about Inventionland is the people.

“Inventionland brings in wonderful people,” says Davison. “When they come in, I get to feel the inspiration; I get to see them just light up, and that, to me, is everything because they’re in one of my ideas.”

We could go on and on, but the video speaks for itself. View the awesome segment on the CBS Early Show!

A typical project does not get a royalty agreement, sell in stores or generate a profit.

Two Davison-designed spa-therapy products are about to “unleash” their wild-sides on new store shelves! The animal-printed TheraPED and TheraTOES, which provide soothing relief for sore feet and toes, are heading to Fred’s Super Dollar and, soon, may be hitting the shelves at Sally Beauty Supply as well.

The new orders also warranted a few package improvements for the products. The updated features include small design changes to improve on-shelf stability and slight changes to package wording.

While the TheraPED and TheraTOES are currently licensed by Health Enterprises and are sure to be enjoyed by many consumers with sore feet, according to Davison’s Managing Senior Director of Licensing, like many Davison-designed products, the TheraPED was born out of client necessity.

“I had worked with [our client] Lennell on her ‘cooling sock’ idea for over three years.  She has MS and has limited mobility. She suffers from ‘hot feet’ due to her illness and wanted something to cool her feet down,” said the Managing Senior Director.

Not only does the TheraPED offer cooling therapy, it’s designed with multi-functional gel pads that also provide moist heat for the top, sides and bottom of feet. Excitement over the finished product was infectious!

“I was so excited when I heard [Lennell’s] voice again and got to tell her the licensing department had good news! She was so excited to hear that her product was licensed and [Davison's Vice President of Licensing] sent her a couple pairs to prove it. She has thanked everyone at Davison for their commitment to her idea and is thankful for the outcome,” said Davison’s Managing Senior Director of Licensing.

See Lennell’s excited reaction in the smartphone video she sent below:

Now, thanks to Health Enterprises, who licensed Lennell’s product, the TheraPED, and their own TheraTOES, are taking on a trendy look for fall fashion. Already available in a hot zebra print, they are soon to be available in other fun, animal prints as well.

And, we’re growling with excitement too as the Davison-designed TheraPED and TheraTOES hit more and more store shelves! Congratulations to every team member who has helped make these GGGRRRReat products so wildly successful!

The client has not made a net profit on this product. A typical project does not get a royalty agreement, sell in stores or generate a profit.

If you recall from part I, Diane came up with her idea because her puppies (Alexander was joined by a sister, Olivia) would get overly warm in the car and there was no way to easily provide them with water while on the go. Diane was very excited when she got the proposal to build her idea after the research phase was completed.

“I was very happy to think it was going to be a reality soon; I still don’t believe it today,” she said. “It was definitely thrilling; it was a little scary too.”

Diane didn’t quite understand how the Design team would improve on her idea, but she was very pleased with the results.

Her idea was perfected in the Hydro Bone, a hydrating chew toy with a foam core that absorbs water. The water is then released through specially designed holes as the toy is squeezed, so it quenches a dog’s thirst while it chews or plays. The toy is also freezable for lasting refreshment. Being transferred to the Licensing Department was another stepping stone and “a definite confirmation,” she recalled.

The first company to which it was presented was not interested, however, which was “devastating.” But Diane believed in her idea, and her daughter, Kristen, believed in her, so she decided to keep going.

“Davison was handling everything and they thought it would take this much time to find the right company. I definitely agreed with that,” she said.

And find the right company we did. Diane was “overwhelmingly” pleased when she learned that Hugs Pet Products had licensed the product.

“I believe (Hugs) has a lot of passion and a lot of love for pets … I feel very comfortable with that company, and that was extremely important to me.” On the last page of the licensing agreement was a picture of the packaged product, which gave her a “very good feeling.”
“I grabbed the puppies. I hugged them and thanked them for their inspiration.”

Getting the call from the Vice President of Licensing to hear her product was licensed was “amazing.” She tried not to get “too terribly excited,” but it turned some wearisome work of processing payrolls into “such an uplifting day.”

Of course, it didn’t stop there – Her product was expanded into an entire line of hydrating chew toys: Hydro Bone, Hydro Ball and Hydro Saucer. That meant more options for pet lovers, as well as more royalties! Diane’s first royalty check was not very big, but it gave her a great feeling, she said.

“It was amazing, too. I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m getting paid for this!’”

During her recent visit to Inventionland, which she described as “the most amazing” place that she didn’t want to leave, Diane received her third and biggest check to date.

“It was certainly worth getting on a plane for the first time … I still can’t believe this check was made out to me,” said Diane, whose finances have always been up and down. “This is a definite positive in my life; I’m so grateful.”

It took a little over 5 years from the day Diane got her idea to the day she visited Inventionland. She said her success was worth the wait, however, and she would “absolutely” do it again.

“Now, the royalty checks are coming in, thanks to the Davison team,” she said. “I feel this whole process was worthwhile because Davison is a great company to work with; they believe in what they do.”

Diane also said it was great meeting Mr. Davison. “He’s unbelievable; fantastic,” she said. “He seems to be a very caring individual, and he’s so focused on the company. I get the picture that his employees are more like his family.”
“He’s very down to earth; totally not a stereotype executive,” added Diane’s daughter, Kristen. “And he knows all his employees by name. Wow – that says a lot!”

Before leaving, Diane offered some words of advice to other people with ideas.

“If someone is trying to talk them out of it, I would ask them if they truly believed in it first, then try Davison,” she said. “If they read anything negative (I would tell them) not to believe everything you read…Davison is only going to try to make it better. They took my idea and made it better.”

The best thing about her product, she said, is that it helps to improve the lives of animals.

“I feel most fortunate, to be able to do that for these wonderful creatures,” she said, including her puppies. “I love them to pieces … I believe this product will have a positive impact on my animals, and everyone else’s. They deserve to be treated with the most loving treatment there is.”

Check out the great thank you letter Diane sent following her visit:

I had the most spectacular experience!! I did not know what to expect upon arrival. Mr. “D” and all who are part of this most innovative Company are the most inspiring and compassionate people. It was great to witness that the employees of Davison are a TEAM and know its true meaning. All of you have changed my life in the most positive way imaginable. I feel and know that I am and have been Blessed. It is why I was led to Davison. All of you are awesome people and I am thrilled to know you.

By the way, my first flight experience was fantastic both to and from Pittsburgh!!! I owe this life changing experience to the Davison team!!!

Thank you, Diane! Congratulations to you, Hugs Pet Products and everyone who worked on these awesome new products!

A typical project does not get a royalty agreement, sell in stores or generate a profit.

Introducing (Drum roll, please!)…The Davison.com Trade Show Page!

We all know our licensing team “tries longer” to bring our inventors’ ideas to market by attending industry trade shows and expositions. Now, with just a click, current and future clients will know our team is out there representing Davison products across the nation too!

Davison’s President said he thinks the page further reinforces just how well our method works.

“It’s one thing for a company to say they attend trade shows… It’s quite another for a company to say they attend trade shows and have a proven method of getting people’s ideas into the product lines of companies.  We do the latter,” said the President.

Davison’s Vice President of Licensing added, “The page looks great, and it’s another avenue for clients to see the exposure Davison has at trade shows with our corporate clients!”

The new Davison.com Trade Show Page includes a “highlight reel” slide show of photos from previous shows, as well as news updates on each show attended. There’s also a list of upcoming shows, so we can track our team’s journey as they meet with national and international corporations, finding homes for electronics, housewares, hardwares, crafts and pet products!

While Davison regularly attends trade shows in a number of industries, it does not promise that any particular client product will be, or is likely to be, presented or discussed at a trade show.

To check out the new page, visit http://www.davison.com/tradeshows/.