Day 87: Michigan Ice Cube Trays
Although it may seem like an easy process, there is an extensive amount of effort put in to create the Michigan Ice Trays. Although Hatch created the original drawings, Tim Feskorn of Plastec Design converted his drawings to data and made some design changes for manufacturability. The next step was to make the injection mold, which was built by Extreme Machining and Engineering. Hatch proudly states that, “All of my suppliers are located in Michigan.” Throughout this process, Hatch learned much about supporting his local economy: “It is surprising how such a small, insignificant product has on so many people trying to make a living. My suppliers and the stores that sell them depend on the Michigan Ice Trays success to make a small contribution to their profit. A small impact but better than nothing. I won’t be anywhere close to becoming a millionaire from the trays but when I was laid off for two years, they generated just enough income to keep the lights on.”
Born and raised in Michigan his entire life, Hatch decided to use the unique shape of Michigan for his product. “Ohio, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and many other states already look like an ice cube without any features.” Like all Michiganders, Hatch enjoys the passing of the seasons (wishing summer was a little longer). Overtime, Hatch would like to “sell enough of [his product] to pay off the tooling and use any profits to develop another Ice Tray from one of the states, like Florida or California.”
Michigan Ice Trays are a unique product every Michigander can enjoy. You can use them for just about anything and it is a high quality product that will not let you down. To order your own set of Michigan Ice trays, or to get them as a gift, click here! ~Mel Libby, Regional Director