When it comes to safety, LifeDefender™ not only meets the industry standards, we helped to establish them. From our beginnings, we worked with a select group of emergency vehicle and ambulance manufacturers to set the toughest safety standards as well as design products that meet these standards. Our rigorous safety standards keep occupants inside emergency vehicles safe during transport. Austin Hardware's LifeDefender™ Cabinet Security Frames have been designed to provide a solution to meet the *SAE, CAAS GVS & NFPA safety standards. In addition to meeting strict safety standards, our frames are crash tested to ensure that the vehicle occupants, ems workers, and patients are safe during transport and in case of an accident.  

Not only is safety our top concern, but we also created a top-quality design for all of our products. We utilized our custom engineering services to create efficient, quality designed products. The LifeDefender™ line designs feature a quick and easy install for quick assembly of emergency vehicles. Our cabinets are designed for ease of use, and some only require one-handed use for on-the-go applications. The simple, functional design is not only handy but is also suitable for many different uses, including marine and RV applications. LifeDefender™ has designed one tough frame and offers a variety of products to fit different needs and applications. Each product is designed with safety in mind as well as easy installation and use.  

Austin Hardware & Supply, Inc. has received Patent No. US 10,004,331 B2 from the United States Patent and Trademark Office for the company’s Front Drawer Release (FDR).

The FDR was invented by engineers Mark Jeffries and Rusty Smith in 2009, and a patent request was filed in 2011. It was designed as part of a complete system to easily latch and unlatch the drawers in heavy duty industrial drawer systems used in vehicular applications.

Launching a product is not as simple as creating it and releasing it into the world. Without a solid plan, bringing a product to market can prove impossible. In fact, Harvard research shows that there are over 30,000 new products launched every year, but over 80% of them fail. It’s safe to say that getting a product to market is far from guaranteed.

Innovation is integral to success today. New or re-branded products and services are meant to fill consumer demand or capitalize on an opportunity in the marketplace. When bringing new ideas or products into reality, businesses must consider the New Product Development process. This process was developed on the back of comprehensive research on products that failed and succeeded.

How to Develop a New Product

The process listed here is recognized as the best practice for bringing concepts to the market. Also known as the Stage-Gate innovation process, has eight crucial steps for successful product development. Keep reading below to learn more about these steps and how to utilize them for your business.