It is has been almost a year since I posted a new blog. I often add to write a new blog on my task list but it just doesn’t happen. I guess I am just deep into the grind of growing the company. That is a good thing. I would like to document the journey though like I did for the first few years.

The Home Depot account is activating nationwide this summer. Almost half of the stores are already set up. This was a hard-earned account. We had to go through 3 different buyers, factory audits and 3 store tests over a 4-year period to manifest this. It is well worth it because we are in now and expansion is our next move. The AjustLock bolt lock products have done really well and we are excited about the next steps.

Our US distributor, Hillman, has been working on the rest of the US market for the past 2 years.

We are doing really well in Canada with Hillman covering the big box stores which include, Home Depot Canada, Walmart, and Canadian Tire. Onward is another distributor we have in Canada and they cover a lot of the other accounts.

That leaves Europe which we have been working on for some time. It is a little more complicated because the EU is many countries with different languages.  We are going strong in England and Sweden and are working on activating Germany, France, and Switzerland. We also just activated New Zealand after a long wait to get that deal right. Hopefully that will spread into Australia which is tough because it is so large and the shipping costs to move product around are hard on the sell price.

We also recently had some inquiries from hardware companies in Japan. We like to put new pins in the map and generate new global business. 

To all of you entrepreneurs out there, if you have a good product or idea, keep at it and don’t stop until you make it happen. There are many obstacles and delays on the journey. Keep blazing those trails!

When one is about to launch a new venture, someone has to take the risk and dedicate years of their life to get it going. One important question arises when funds are being raised.  How much do we pay the CEO of a start-up or the founders? The CEO has to pay his personal expenses and survive and the investors want as much of the seed money to be pumped into the development and marketing of your product whether physical or digital.

What is the right number? How do you find that sweet spot? I can say from personal experience being the CEO of a start-up that I made my investors feel comfortable by taking a pay cut from what I was making as an electrician when I started. That showed that I believed and would put in the energy and time to generate enough business for the company to meet and surpass my old salary.  It has been 3.5 years since launch and I am close to pushing past that original number. It takes some time since revenues need to cover cost of good, overhead, and then what is left over changes the game. 

I have heard of start-up CEO’s demanding large extravagant salaries and that is not the right attitude. Sacrifice is the energy a start-up needs.

Imagine it is like you have a new garden of vegetables you planted. They need water (funds) to grow and you only have 100 cups of water a day to feed your plants and yourself. You could survive and remain healthy and strong on 15 cups a day but you want 25 cups or 30 cups. Sure you can take them but your plants will be lacking and possibly even die. 

Think twice if you are in this position and make sure you take only what you need until the crop is plentiful. Than you can share in the harvest and distribute to yourself and the whole team involved. 

This reminds me of a volcano forming a new island in the ocean.  I am sure you have seen the energy, heat and power that is released in order to create that new piece of land in the cool ocean. 

Ajustco team and I had to generate this same kind of energy inside of ourselves.  The heat is what melts the stone to liquid so it can be moved and reformed into the new land.  This heat is the desire, persistence, and dedication to see the project through all of the obstacles and hurdles, whether external or internal.  Often fear and doubt are the toughest obstacles to overcome.  The rock is the idea that was formed out of thought energy.  The process has to be fluid in order to grow but with a ton of energy behind it otherwise it won’t move.

The new island then needs time to cool and time for plant life to grow onto it which is when it becomes useful to the organisms who will live there.  A start up also need a certain amount of time for it to grow. There is daily effort but patience is so key.  All the while you are staying present in each moment giving it your best, at the same time there is a small part of you that is connected to the success that you are striving for.  It is simply staying connected to your vision while getting your hands dirty each and every day.

At some point if you follow the hidden rules, put in the correct amount of energy for the right amount of time and survive the fury of the elements you will eventually have a fully functioning company which corresponds to that newly formed Island with Nature flourishing on it.

We can learn a lot from a Volcano if we mimic its creative power in our start-up.  Harmonizing with Nature is key because She has the Blueprint for everything.  There are certain rules that Nature follows in Her creations and we must be in harmony with those rules if we want Her support.  I don’t want to say too much so I will leave the rest for you to experience on your journey.

Happy building to all of the start-up adventurers out there.

Building a company is a marathon, not a sprint. When we first started, we had an investor tell me that I would always be raising money at least for the first 5-7 years. He was right. Half of my work is raising capital to maintain what I have established effectively while expanding. Luckily, I have great backers who support my company with positive energy, financing, and encouragement. But maintaining success requires a lot of unexpected details. Things like legal fees were not top of mind when I was designing and creating my product.

Those realities again…we are still a tight group working 70-80 hours a week because we want to keep the monthly burn small until we can generate enough sales to build the team and expand into new arenas. We have accomplished great things in three years but time flies. 

With a master distribution agreement with Hillman, permanent integration into 200 Home Depot stores in the North East slated for Q1 2016, permanent integration into all of the B&Q locations in England, permanent integration into the set in Rona in Canada through Onward, and other deals in the works, we have our hands full with production and logistics.

What’s next? There is no time for “next” right now. We have a fully functioning engine that requires constant attention and energy to run smoothly. We have new ideas but we spend minimal time on them in light of immediate tasks and obligations. We have a business to build, aiming to generate enough cash flow to pay the bills and compensate our investors. The future is always in the back of my mind but the pragmatic grind of the here and now is at the forefront. In the years to come, this will change but running a start-up as it starts to achieve success requires keenly focusing on pragmatic details. But all entrepreneurs are dreamers and the dreams keep churning in the back of my mind, ready to flourish.

Arman and I attended our first hardware trade show in Boston in August of 2013. We showed up there with 4 Ajustco products and, well, that is all we had. We had just started and hadn’t had time to do anything else since we had just launched in Vegas in May of that year.

The buyer visited our booth numerous times and expressed how much he loved our innovation. He knew that we were going to face a ton of adversity toward gaining space into the builders hardware set of most stores.  He suggested we build multiple merchandising displays that would fit into almost any store size. We did just that and when the next show arrived, he was impressed that we actually listened to him and executed.

We needed a turnkey solution that would give the stores a no-brainer feeling to give our innovation a try. It has worked like a charm to this day. We have won numerous awards for our packaging and merchandising at the trade shows and we continue to produce new ideas that help get into stores which gives us the opportunity to then educate the customers once they see our new product in the isles.

It has been a key component to our success and I am glad we put in the time and cash to build these introductory solutions. Now we are starting to be placed into the builders’ hardware sets around the globe. It wouldn’t have happened if we had not first taken that first small step. Best of luck on your ventures.

As of now we have 51 SKU’s available. In just 2 years we have had to grow fast. We have barrel bolts, slide bolts, pad bolts and a few merchandising display packages. By next year we should also have tower bolts and Brenton bolts followed by surface bolts.  If you google these names you will see that they are just different styles of door locks. The one thing they all hold in common is that they can benefit from having our AjustLock technology applied to them to solve the offset issue they all face due to gravity or temperate changes.

We also have a variety of finishes. We have traditional silver zinc, yellow zinc (brass color), black, stainless, and we have galvanized on the way.  Later we will launch brushed bronze, nickel, and other finishes to match whatever hinges or door knob you have on your door or gate. There are many options that we can expand into as we move forward.

A company needs to launch new products to keep the energy moving.  Look at cars and cell phones.  Every year they are unveiling the latest innovations and upgrades to their line. 

That said, we do have a new item we are working on that falls under the Adjustable category to remain in line with our company foundation (AJUSTCO).  How could we not continue to innovate?  That is the very core of this company. We make game changing adjustments to outdated products. We look forward to launching it. In the meantime we are plenty busy with expanding the Ajustlock product line with plenty of runway to keep us busy for years to come.

To Be Continued…

We have some other big deals brewing in Europe with our partner B&Q launching 10 of our SKU’s in their big box stores. We are also working on a deal with Castorama in France and Hornbach in Germany. And in the US we have the rest of our product from our Home Depot USA test placed in 22 locations near Washington DC. They are talking about adding 1 SKU to all 2,000 locations toward the end of 2015. That would be a big accomplishment for us.

We are officially ending our year 2 of operations on March 31^st. We have come a long way in 2 years. Our 3^rd year is looking rather promising. We have worked hard to get here and we will continue to push relentlessly until we are in every major retailer in the world.

This is the year where we should be transitioning from a Start-up to a fully operation company able to stand on its own two feet. Three years is fast if looking at the statistics of start-ups but when you have a great product and the right financial backers, the market accepts it fairly quickly and you have the capital you need to meet the demand. 

A good analogy for the growth of a company is a fruit tree. The seed is the thought. When, how and where you plant it is critical. When it first starts to grow you need to protect it from the harsh elements which would be compared to telling too many people about the idea.  Most fruit trees take a certain amount of years to mature before they will produce fruit. If you can make it through this initial growth stage than you will have a big healthy tree that will yield fruit that you can benefit from for years to come. We are right at that tipping point where our tree is going to produce fruit for the first time this year. It is an exciting time and we are ready for the harvest.

Just to note, we spent 4 years before we launched the product preparing the patent, building prototypes and raising funds. The first year after we launched was spent on getting our production correct and our capacity increased. Year two was spent meeting all of the big decision makers and negotiating orders. We really didn't start to have product on the shelves in a big way in until month 18. We are just starting to see some sales reports and they look great considering it is the winter when everyone is buying salt and shovels.

Spring is right around the corner and we are looking forward to the having everyone hit the stores to repair their houses and yards after this long harsh winter. In May we will be attending our 3^rd National Hardware Show in Las Vegas. That is where we celebrated our Ajustco's first birthday. We also won the Retailers' Choice Award at the 2014 National Hardware Show. We will also be attending the Do It Best market for the first time in May in Indianapolis. Stop by our booth and check out our events section to see what we are up to. Just in the past few months we added Black and Stainless versions of Ajustlock. They were a big hit at the Orgill show in Orlando last month.

We have a lot of new versions of the Ajustlock that we will be rolling during the next few years. We are also working on a new product. It is a hardware item but not a door lock. Maybe we will launch it next year. For now, we have to keep it a secret to protect its energy just like the seedling. I will do my best to write a monthly blog again. On that note, see you in April.

Right now we are selling product in the USA, Canada, The Caribbean, England, South America, and Australia. To make that happen we have to have distribution partners to receive the product, ship it to the retail locations and get the product set up correctly in a display, clip strip, bin, or on a peg. We handle some of the smaller distribution to Amazon or to Mom and Pop hardware stores around the USA but for the big box retailers and international we need partners. Many aspiring inventors, as I once did, have a foggy idea of what happens after you get a purchase order. In the past I thought it would be a 1, 2, 3, process. Get interest for the item, deliver the item, and get paid for the item. If it were only that simple.

First we have to produce the product correctly and on time. This is a whole other challenge and you can see my experiences with this in my previous blogs. Once you have production quality and capacity to handle large orders now comes the next phase. I am not even going to get into how to meet the buyers and get the orders. That is another topic for a later blog. We are talking about what happens after the order is in and you have delivered the product to the distributor or store set company who is going to get it into the stores.

What I have just learned is that you have to have a clear agreement with your distributor about how the product is going to roll out into the stores. After you have negotiated the price, your job is not done. Most likely you are rolling out a new product that the customer has never seen before and they need to be educated about the new product otherwise they will walk right on by it in the store and that will be the only order you ever receive from that retailer. You need to merchandise it in a way that gets their attention and tells them why it is better within 2-5 seconds. It is highly recommended that you hire an expert to help you with this. We hired a great company who helped us design an award winning display. You are only going to get one shot at this. Now, once you have this excellent packaging, display, product resource videos, or whatever you are using to get your message across, you have to make sure that whoever is setting up your product in the store is going to set it up correctly. Try a few stores out with no education merchandising. Most likely the product will collect dust even though it might be a great product.

Don’t just assume that everyone is going to care about your one new amazing product. Distributors are real busy dealing with the hundreds or thousands of other products they are managing in the same and other locations. They are currently making a lot of money on those tried and tested products. They are now taking a chance by putting your product in the store. Don’t be afraid to go check everything out and report back to them. They are a large operation with a lot of moving parts and have just as much trouble keeping everything in order as you do. Communication is key and so is following up on everything. Check into it. Ask questions and go see what is going on out there. You can’t understand what is going on from your office. Remember that the distributor is getting a piece of the pie for their services and you should hold them accountable for what they are getting paid to do. The retailer is busy getting the customers into the store, and helping them once they are there. They are relying on you to get the product produced, delivered, and set up. 

Be patient but don’t sit around expecting everything to just work itself out. You have to be involved and manage the whole process from delivery to sale. Once you are in the store and you figure out what works to get the sales, than repeat, repeat, repeat. Hopefully you will figure it out before the retailer pulls the plug. They will only give you a small window to prove that your product will sell through.

This is a work in progress for me. I am learning this step by step through experience. I was warned that this was going to be a difficult task and those wise words were correct. I love this process though. I am literally bringing a dream to life.  A 9-5 would be much easier but that is not what my Heart called me to do. Stay tuned for my next blog. I plan on talking about how to meet the buyers and get the orders.

Browse our adjustable barrel bolt lock products. AjustLock merchandising displays and AjustLock stores to find a store near your location.

As soon as we launched our innovative adjustable barrel bolt lock products into the market, most of the large retailers of the world approached us and expressed their interest to carry our items. How could I refuse? This wasn't part of the plan though. I didn't want to experience the nightmares I was told about but I had to at least give it a try.

So, I began the long journey of price and packaging negations which I have found can take 6 to 18 months. Don't think you are going to make a ton of money real fast just because they have 1000 stores. So, if you are a start-up spending investor dollar, and you are targeting the large retailers, you better have at least 2 years of operational cost in the bank or be continuously raising capital. If you don’t, you will run out of money before your sales revenue kicks in to keep the ship afloat. I had to raise more money to bridge this gap.  If you have a great product that the market wants and good financial supporters, you should have no problem. If one of these two is lacking than you will be in trouble when you reach that canyon that must be crossed.

I have been through the gauntlet a few times now in setting up an account to sell product to these large retailers and I realize that their requirements are super strict for good reasons. They have huge operations to manage and every system is in place to keep as much order as possible during the process which is often worldwide and can become chaotic quickly unless managed well.  In order to play with the big boys or girls, you have to step your game up.  I thought those stories I was told were true but they are distorted. These stories were often told by individuals who were not willing to elevate their impeccability in their production, quality, delivery, and paperwork.  If you want to do business with billion dollar companies, than you must upgrade the way you do business to harmonize with their level.  If you are not willing to do that because of laziness, inertia, entropy or fear, than it is not going to work. I am learning this real quick and making the steps necessary to meet their requirements. They do give you a shot in the beginning to step your game up knowing that you will need to adjust as a new vendor. There is a small window that they open for a new company to demonstrate that you are willing to keep order and harmony in your supply chain and paperwork.

I realize that this outcome is in my hands. I can’t blame the big retailers if they don’t want to do business with me because I am not willing to organize my organization. I guess that is why it is called an organization because in order for a company to work it must be organized constantly. I have to take responsibility and tune our company to play our instrument in harmony with their symphony. They are helping me grow into a top notch respected vendor that will be very successful in the market.  These large companies were small once and only were able to grow because of the detailed systems they put into place to manage their huge operations. They are my teachers and I am glad to have the lessons. Thanks Big Box. It is my pleasure to learn from you.

Jason Stile

Co-Founder & CEO, Ajustco

This little piece of metal has taken us to Australia, China, Hong Kong, Toronto, Germany, and all over the US just in year One.  Who knows where year 2 will take us. It is very spontaneous. At some point this year I will have to make my 4^th trip to China to oversee some of the larger orders we have on the schedule. This is becoming an international company which wasn't a part of the original plan. We just need to remain open to allowing the worldwide market to tell us what it wants. If every country in the world wants our innovative adjustable barrel bolt locks than we will manufacture and deliver them.

A lot of people have been telling me that Ajustco is moving very quickly but since I am in the daily grind it seems like everything is moving real slow. Especially with the pace of the large retailers. From the day they say they want to carry our world's first adjustable catch bot lock, AjustLock products to the day we have it on their shelf is anywhere from 6-24 months. There is a huge process that we need to go through with each retailer to become a vendor and sell product to them as a manufacturer/supplier. They are billion dollar public companies and they are precise with their paperwork.

It is a lot of hard work but I am enjoying the journey. Let’s see what year 2 has in store for us. We hope to see you at one of the many trade-show we will be attending. You can see our events schedule on our website. Year 2 here we come!

Jason Stile

Co-Founder & CEO, Ajustco

I have not had such a luxury.  I just finished up my 3^rd trip to China all in less than 12 months.  This latest trip lasted 3 weeks and was the most fruitful yet regarding our product development.  I was able to rigorously test our product, find its weaknesses and then work with the engineers here to perfect our lock.  The Ajustlock now not only is able to adjust to fluctuations which is its key differentiator but it is also now as strong and in some cases stronger than the traditional barrel bolt lock.

Producing a product in China is a huge challenge for a foreigner because of the language/cultural differences, amongst other reasons. Another challenge is getting the attention of the supplier to assist in the development of the product. This is not so easy when you are the new guy with a new product that doesn’t have millions in sales yet.  Why does he want to invest significant time and resources in my new idea when he has multiple clients spending huge dollars on a free flowing supply chain?  My product is just a potential revenue stream to him.  And since I am a foreigner it is even harder to gain his respect.

On this trip I did just this.  Travelling here multiple times is a huge commitment and holds a lot of weight.  I demonstrated to my supplier that I am very serious about our company, our product, and our future sales which is beginning to show fruit that he can see and smell.  I have learned that I need to invest time as a start up to show that I am not just an attempt to manifest a dream.  I have shown my supplier that I have a strong plan, the financial backers, and the right team who is driven to get past all of the barriers that all startups face in their first 3 years in business.

I can now return to New York with confidence that my supplier is on my team and very interested in making sure I have quality products that the major retailers will approve and the consumers will be very satisfied with.  My first supplier was not able to make our product to our specifications and it has taken 3 months for our new supplier to perfect our units.  All in all it took around 1 year to source and secure a successful relationship with a foreign supplier.  Now that I have the relationship established I could develop and roll out a new hardware product in 2-3 months.  Other more complicated products will take much longer of course. 

In the end, I realize that gaining the respect and interest from any partner is worth way more than just a large order.  Money talks in business but money coupled with transparent communication and confidence is a lot louder than money alone.  Investing in relationships is priceless.  Don’t be fooled by thinking you can easily find a factory in China to produce your new product.  Learn from my experience and save yourself time and money.  Do your research first and don’t stop until you get everything to the level you know it needs to be.  So many times on this road I have heard people tell me that we don’t need to add more or improve more. They are asking me to settle for less than what I know is required.  I will not settle, and I will fight laziness wherever I find it to maintain the level of quality I know is necessary for success. 

Jason Stile, co-founder of Ajustco

                         LSC, or Locksmith Supply Company, started out as a small hardware store back in 1926 specializing in keys and locks. They are now the primary supplier to local professional locksmiths and also have a large number of SKU’s in major hardware chains such as Masters, and Mitre 10. We choose LSC based on numerous factors including the care with which they provide to their clients brands such as Abus and Lockwood, which are strong brands in Australia. We are excited to work with them with our innovative adjustable slide bolt lock and other barrel bolt lock products and look forward to a great future partnership for years to come.

Jason Stile,

CEO, Ajustco

We spent around 1 week renting a taxi for the day and driving 6-12 hours a day visiting every factory possible. Shenzhen, which is a city 30 minutes from Hong Kong, is known for their printing and cardboard displays. We met 2 great potentials there. A lot of people from the US were telling us that we were only going to find cheap flimsy cardboard in China. That is so far from the truth. You get what you pay for.  The factories had cheap and sturdy cardboard available.  It is a matter of choice and price.

Our next stop was to fly up to Ningbo where our current factory is.  We spent a little more than 1 week there.  I love Ningbo.  Most of the city is brand new and still growing.  The people are friendly and happy.  You can see people practicing Tai Chi with swords in the morning all over and they are dancing outside for exercise in the evening.  I spent days in a taxi driving from factory to factory. We were all over Ningbo, Hangzhou, and surrounding areas.  It is great to sit down with the factory owners and get a quote right on the spot. You can see for yourself if the factory is clean, organized, and producing good quality products.  It is easy to spot the sloppy factories like it is easy to spot a sloppy restaurant in the US.  You can see a lot by just looking at the small details.

At the end of our trip we spent 2 days in Hong Kong.  It is a must see city. It is like New York but with hills like San Francisco, a really friendly crowd and no frigid winters.

All in All, if you want to have a quality product made in China you have to oversee the whole process yourself.  Nobody else is going to care about your project more than you. To all of the people who are involved with your project, it is just one more project to them. But to you, it is THE PROJECT. Don’t be deluded into thinking that you can set it and forget it. You need to manage the whole process from start to finish if you want to have any chance to succeed. Remember that the odds are against you so you have to push extra hard to get traction and reach your goals.

Happy sourcing

Ajustco

We realize how important it is to be present in the market of adjustable barrel bolt and slide bolt lock that we are entering. We need to meet the key players face to face for initial negotiations. These kind of deals cannot be accomplished properly via Skype. They can be maintained with Skype. We spent some time researching and investigating into the local suppliers and deciding who would be the best player to bring us in the large retailer.  

This is the same as lifting the hood of a car and learning what all the parts do and how it works. Now we have a clear understanding of how this market operates and we have a plan in place to be in every store in the next 90 days. Current tasks are to alter our packaging to reflect the market. They use MM in place of inches and we need to have a local contact number for customer inquiries or returns. 

There are so many parts to get this process in motion. Meeting the buyers of the retail chains, choosing a supplier, negotiating pricing, customizing packaging, artwork for the merchandising displays, placing the order with our factory, shipping and logistics, payment, and more talks all have to come together synchronously to activate just one strong deal in this one country. We have to repeat this process in many countries including our home base (USA). We sure do have our hands full but we love it. We are currently in China so stay tuned for my next blog update about our China trip which is based on managing production.

Jason Stile

Co-Founder & CEO, Ajustco

This plan has to be realistic enough for investors to consider the risk. Even if your position in year 1 looks nothing like your initial map it doesn't matter as long as you are getting the job done. I remember one investor looking me in the eye and saying “let’s see if you can pull this off”. He knew how hard this task was going to be and still is right now as I write this post.

Our plan was to get on the shelves of the small retailers in year one and deal with the big boys and international markets in year 2 and 3. Well, life changed that plan real quick. We debuted in Vegas in May and every large US and International retailer approached us to work out a deal to get our innovative adjustable slide bolt lock and other barrel bolt lock products onto their shelves. This is a good problem to have but it requires a huge shift. We have been rearranging our plan to meet this demand ever since. Of course, like most start-ups, we need to raise more capital and we are about to begin that process now.  Getting our production ramped up for these orders cost money, the deals take longer which requires us to have sustaining cash flow to get us there, and the payment terms are longer which means we won’t see checks for 90-120 days after delivery of shipment. It is a lot more work and faster than expected but it gets us in the whole market, not just a piece of it, faster than anticipated.

We could have raised more money in the first round but we had already spent over a year raising our seed capital and we needed to launch. We knew that we could always raise more money after/if we received a positive response from the market, and we did receive that response. Many of our investors told us we were going to need more capital than our initial raise, and we agreed, but we did think there was a chance we could grow organically if we hit the small stores first. Well, our investors we right.

If you have ever seen an episode of Shark tank, which I am sure you have, the Sharks often say that they know that a project is going to need more than the initial capital the Entrepreneur is asking for. There are many tolls on the way to success.  It is often a good practice when writing a business plan and financial projections to mock-up a worst case scenario where you will need more cash to get to your goal. Arman and I wrote out many versions or probable futures. Be honest and transparent with your investors and you will succeed no matter what happens. Let them know how you are doing whether good or bad. No one likes bad news but it is better than sugar coated s—t.

We have to be flexible and adapt to what the world is asking. We can’t stick to the script all the time, like in a movie.  We have to improvise on the spot. It is an exciting adventure of spontaneity. It is nerve racking but has a start-up ever been relaxing and calming? Keep your energy high and enjoy every moment of the journey. If you had the courage to sail that ship into the unknown than I believe you have the persistence to see your project through to the end. Dig deep down inside your SELF.  You have a rich mine of inner resources that will help you accomplish anything you focus your whole Heart on.

Jason Stile

CEO, Ajustco

An important part of new product and company launches is telling a story.  There are many ways to do so, which is the job of the marketing group to figure out which ways can be most effective.  Ajustco's marketing agency of record, Blueliner, is overseeing an integrated marketing campaign, that includes multiple types of video production, digital marketing and creative merchandising strategies, such as the creation of interactive quarter pallet displays and power wing, sidekick displays for hardware stores.

This clever 90 second animation shows one of the most frequent and frustrating problems faced by homeowners, apartment tenants, contractors and anyone who has ever used a public bathroom stall - door lock shift and misalignment, which prevents doors, gates and stalls from being locked properly. AjustLock, the new adjustable barrel bolt lock, by Ajustco, is heralded as the "hero" which saves the day. "It's Just Better" tagline says it all.

Kudos to Director, Danny Klein, Brand Strategist @ Blueliner, as well as Animator, Moran Barir, for their creative work!

In the beginning when I first had the dream for Ajustlock I told my girlfriend who is now my fiancé about the idea, and her take on it was that it would be a waste of time and risky. That is not an easy thing to ignore when one is working full time knowing how much energy and time it is going to take to manifest this project. Fortunately I didn’t listen to her and she is grateful for my rebelliousness.

I remember pitching angel investors online, in personal meetings, and at pitch events in front of 100+ investors for over 1 year receiving a lot of NO’s. They were telling me they liked the new adjustable barrel bolt product but that it wasn't there cup of tea. My mind told me to give up a thousand times but I kept pressing on. I realized through trial and error that I needed to pitch the right investor, someone who would have a passion for my type of product, not just anyone with money looking to invest.

We started manufacturing in early 2013 producing dies and packaging. For those who have never produced a product using metal dies and stamping it is a tedious process getting the product perfect and market ready. Our manufacturer kept making mistakes and I needed product for our worldwide debut in Las Vegas. It was 5 days before the show and I didn't have a functioning unit in hand. What did I do?  I did what any obsessive entrepreneur would do. I flew to China for 1 day to visit our factory and push them hard to get me a few finalized units I could display to every important retail buyer in the world. It worked. I was on a plane longer than I was in China but I got the job done. 

I realize that whatever you are doing, working a 9-5, raising children, digging into your inner world to know yourself, or building a company, every day you are presented with an assignment or a challenge. If you approach that assignment with present moment awareness and give it your best and full attention until it is dealt with fully, than you move up one more step of the ladder. It is as if life gives you a plate of food to eat every day and if you don’t eat it you can’t throw it away. It just stays on the plate and rots. We must clean the plate so we can eat the food that is placed there tomorrow. Each day has its assignments. 

Remember to enjoy the journey because that is where the beauty is. I have found that at the top of the ladder there is a plateau and just ahead is another ladder to climb. And when life presents a challenge that seems impossible to solve, consider it a gift, because life must deem you worthy of something great but it is not going to give it to you so easy. You have to prove you are ready to handle the responsibility that comes with whatever it is you are seeking. Enjoy the journey seekers.

Jason Stile

Ajustco Founder

Ajustco is excited to exhibit at the Orgill Fall Dealer Market in Boston (MA), between 22nd and 24th of August this year. 

Orgill is the world’s largest independently owned hardlines distributor providing retailers across the United States and in more than 60 countries throughout the world access to over 75,000 products and industry-leading retail services. "We are thrilled to showcase our Adjustable Slide Bolt and Barrel Bolt Locks Collection not only because it is a high-end environment with a great tradition of over 150 years, but also because it is the next step in consolidating our brand and making more dreams come true" says Jason Stile, Founder and CEO of Ajustco.

The Ajustco Team is looking forward to meeting you all at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center Thursday and Friday (22nd and 23rd of August) from 7:30 AM to 6:00 PM and Saturday (24th of August) from 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM.

July 12, 2013 - Today, Team Ajustco filmed its first commercial for its flagship product, AjustLock, which is the world's first adjustable catch bolt lock. The spot was Produced by Blueliner Marketing, with Blueliner CEO Arman Rousta as Executive Producer and and Danny Klein as Director. The series of videos features Ajustco's Co-Founder and CEO, Jason Stile, providing How To guidance on product installation.

Kudos to Matt Garland (Director of Photography - DP) and Castle Gosselin (Production Assistant) who executed the vision beautifully. The production crew met at Anar Studios, a hi-tech production space in Jersey City to shoot the video. It was a fantastic day, from which a significant amount of quality footage was gathered - which now moves on with Danny Klein to Blueliner's post-production division in Los Angeles.  

Various snapshots from the shoot are shown below.

More updates, and some sneak peeks into the video clips, coming soon!

Ajustco's CEO and Co-Founder, Jason Stile, always loved the Shark Tank, ABC's popular show where inventors pitch their products to some of the top Venture Capitalists and Entrepreneurs in the world, including Mark Cuban and Daymond John.  Today, he may get his long-awaited shot at one of the Sharks - Kevin Harrington - who will be among several high-profile investors and buyers attending the INPEX show in Pittsburgh, PA, looking for the next big thing. "I would love the chance to present AjustLock Barrel Bolt Lock to the Sharks. We just raised sufficient capital and already have big time backers; but that said, I would never turn down the chance to face the Sharks."

Will AjustLock be identified in its category - Hardware & Tools - as a hot item?  If the recent National Hardware Show in Vegas was any indication, we certainly believe it will be.

"These are the moments that we most look forward to" notes Ajustco Co-Founder, Arman Rousta, whose marketing leadership has the company attending numerous trade shows throughout the year.  "Shows give us a chance to get our highly visual, tactile products in front of potential customers. I believe that we will make a great impression at INPEX - our first time here - and hopefully meet Kevin and other high-profile buyers." 

Ajustco is up for an award as Best New Hardware Product - we will keep everyone posted on results. Ajustco's Booth # is 421 for anyone in the Pittsburgh area who would like to attend the show. Day 3 (June 21) is open to the public.

Ajustco Founder Dreams Up the AjustLock Barrel Bolt

Who says dreams can't come true?  

Four years ago, electrician - Jason Stile - encountered a highly frustrating situation, while doing some volunteer construction work, and dream of a solution to the problem, which he subsequently named AjustLock.  "Ajust" without the "d" because the product and company represent a philosophy that Jason shares with his Co-Founder, friend and serial Entrepreneur, Arman Rousta - one of being noble in life and always standing up for just causes. Based on that principle, they named their new company Ajustco, which is short for "A Just Company", that makes just products by making simple adjustments to existing products that make them well...just better.

The Patent Pending AjustLock solves the common problem whereby doors, gates and stalls get misaligned due to loosing of the hinges, and the barrel bolt lock no longer secures the door properly. The typical solution to this age-old problem would be to shift one or both parts of the lock back into alignment, which requires unscrewing them, drilling new holes and then patching and painting the old holes.  Stile wanted to come up with a better solution to this dilemma, and his dreams provided the answer. Today, with the formal market introduction of AjustLock, at the National Hardware Show in Las Vegas, the management duo, supported by an array of angel investors and incubation by Blueliner Marketing, is bringing Stile's dream to life.

"I knew from the start that my dream had to become a reality" said Stile, "no matter what it took. That is why I approached the most successful people that I know for advice, partnership and investment. I am learning from them, and together, we are going to make a lot more dreams come true."

AjustLock threatens to unseat a cadre of current household names that sell what Stile calls "now outdated" barrel bolt locks, in what is a billion dollar slice of the enormous global hardware security market. "There is no reason to use the old lock anymore" adds Rousta, "as Jason's invention renders is obsolete. It is like when they added wheels to the suitcase - you just don't see the old product in use much after a while. Within five years, we believe that AjustLock will be the de facto barrel bolt lock."

Ajustco benefits from having Rousta on board, due to his previous successes in building and launching products from scratch, and then taking them through successful exits.  He now runs Blueliner, which invested infrastructure, marketing and digital technology resources into Ajustco that have helped the startup company off the ground.  "I believe that Jason has all the qualities of a first-class entrepreneur" notes Rousta, "determination, high and positive energy, incredible social skills, problem solving ability and strong personal ethics."

The company is expecting its first large production order of AjustLock units, in two sizes (4 inch barrel bolt and 6 inch barrel bolt) and two colors (Zinc Plated and Brass Plated) within 45 days. The product is being manufactured in China, and warehoused in Pennsylvania, where quality assurance and fulfillment partner, ISI (also an investor in Ajustco) plans to ensure a successful distribution process. The initial sales targets will be the 20,000+ local hardware stores across the United States, and distributors who service them.  Ajustco is in the process of interviewing Manufacturer's Reps who can help to accelerate the process of getting AjustLock in stores. Interested parties can learn more about the product, company and opportunities at www.ajustco.com

Anyone attending the National Hardware Show can visit Ajustco at Booth #8047.

*****
About Ajustco, LLC
Ajustco is the inventor and manufacturer of AjustLock, a patent-pending barrel bolt product. Based in New York City, Ajustco is run by Co-Founder and CEO, Jason Stile, and incubated by established marketing agency, Blueliner Marketing. Blueliner's CEO, Arman Rousta, is a Co-Founder in the company as well. Ajustco is a product development company that solves common problems with simple, practical solutions.
855.AJUSTCO
www.ajustco.com

About Blueliner Marketing, LLC
Blueliner is a top-notch, full service marketing agency, with a specialization in digital marketing and product development. Blueliner Labs is the incubator division of the company, which has invested in Ajustco, as well as other startup ventures. The New York based company has an international presence, with offices in Asia, Europe and Latin America. Blueliner is the pioneer of the 7 Pillars of Digital Marketing, a methodology for planning, implementing and analyzing digital marketing campaigns.
212.904.1240
https://blueliner.io/