BeraTek Industries is helping local entrepreneurs turn their ideas into reality. Positioned as a resource for those looking to manufacture a product, the Company offers “vertically integrated services.” These services include design, development, tooling, manufacturing and even fulfillment and are all offered under one roof in downtown Cedar Rapids.
“My first plan when I opened the doors of BeraTek was to manufacture and sell my own products. However, when talking to other local entrepreneurs I quickly recognized there is a great need for our services,” said Gerald Beranek, Founder and CEO of BeraTek. “We have the equipment and capacity to produce tooling and injection mold products –whether it be short run or high volumes- depending on the customer’s needs. Our focus is on reducing the time needed to get products to market and at a lower cost than outsourcing overseas.”
BeraTek customer and local entrepreneur, Tom Lutz, launched his product the Repour™ smart stopper (www.repour.com) at the EDC Innovation EXPO and on Kickstarter, October 26. Repour is a unique wine preserving stopper and the only one of its kind on the market. Lutz began working with BeraTek early in 2016 on the design of his product after being referred by Curt Nelson at EDC (www.edcinc.org), a local business accelerator.
“I’ve been working with BeraTek Industries for about nine months to get this product to market,” said Lutz. “They’ve been awesome to work with because they are a full-service shop where they offer design, development, tooling and manufacturing. This comprehensive service has been extremely valuable for me as an entrepreneur bringing a product from concept to commercial launch.”
Lutz has been working closely with Ethan Davidson, Director of Business Development at BeraTek. “The wine stopper is a perfect example of a project that fits BeraTek’s core capabilities. We worked closely with Tom to engineer a design that would be easy and cost effective to manufacture,” said Davidson. “Tom needed a few product samples for his marketing efforts so we cut a small hand tool to provide him production equivalent parts in a short timeframe. Most manufactures don’t want to deal with such low volume so this differentiates BeraTek from our competitors. Being a Cedar Rapids-based company, it was rewarding to help a local entrepreneur bring his idea to fruition.”
The wine stopper is currently in the late stages of tooling design, according to Lutz and Davidson. “Our design and tooling team are both located in our Cedar Rapids facility which is a true value-add for customers,” said Davidson. “This allows us to collaborate with the internal team to ensure we are creating the most cost-effective and efficient tool to produce the wine stopper. Being able to make tool modifications in-house is a huge time and money saver for customers.”
Lutz’s product has garnered substantial interest from retailers, media, and wine enthusiasts. Repour has received coverage in the London Evening Standard and CALIBRE Magazine, among others. The Repour Kickstarter campaign (http://kck.st/2dVDRkM) has reached 90% of its goal and closes on November 28th. Product is expected to start shipping in February 2017.
About BeraTek Industries
BeraTek Industries is a product design and manufacturing company that has mastered the art of developing simple, innovative solutions for life’s little challenges. From space-saving storage and shelving to a super-portable slow cooker and a safe, simple baby monitor mount, BeraTek Industries has a groundbreaking product for every need. To purchase BeraTek products or inquire about their services visit: www.beratek-industries.com.
