Any gearhead worth his or her weight in heavy-duty nylon knows there's always a way to make that favorite backpack, duffle or ski- bag better.
But even the best ideas need execution. You can invent a better mousetrap, but where can you take the next step and put it into production?
Scott Mullens thinks he knows where - at Rocky Mountain O'Willy's.
Mullens is director of this small Colorado Springs company that specializes in custom recreation equipment.
On a recent morning, the design tables in the factory off Garden of the Gods Road held covers designed by O'Willy's that are manufactured to cover high-tech devices. There was a pair of motorcycle pants in the making, too, and a zippered container for books or maps.
Products the company has made include dive bags, fanny packs, tactical police gear, hunter's tree stands and computer cases.
The company specializes in sewn bags and accessories, Mullens says: "A lot of people have an idea for something, but don't have the time or the resources to actually create it. We see people with big ideas, good ideas, and help turn those into specialized products."
Items designed and manufactured by O'Willy's have been sold in Cabella's, REI and LL Bean. Items designed by others often are for such specialized markets as motorcyclists.
O'Willy's offers its customers in-house design and pattern- making, and then either sews the products on-site or employs off- site sewing help. The company usually works with heavy-duty Cordura or rip-stop nylon.
The firm's most recent pro- duct is a Cordura case for cell- phone or GPS unit that fits in a water-bottle holder on a backpack or fanny pack.
It's available locally at Old Town Bike Shop, 426 S. Tejon St. Rocky Mountain O'Willy's is at 628 Elkton Drive; phone 599- 0300.
IN THE BAG: Anyone with a dog already knows this: Those long, narrow plastic bags that hold your morning newspaper are also great for holding what your dog does in the yard.
If you don't have a dog, or have more of those little bags than you need, here's an idea:
Collect them and take them to the Garden of the Gods Visitor Center, 1805 N. 30th St.
The Garden sees about 1.7 million visitors each year, and sometimes it seems like at least 1 million of them bring dogs along.
The visitor center staff and volunteers give the little blue or pink or orange bags to dog owners, along with the request that they clean up after their pets.
For more information, call 634-6666.
Copyright 2001
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.
