Groveland Twp.- ‘Necessity is the mother of invention? is a term that has double meaning in the case of Jeff Walker.
Walker was on a camping trip with his baseball team in 1992 in northern Michigan when the group wanted to cook steaks on the open fire, but had nothing to put them on. From this experience, Walker came up with the idea for The Perfect Campfire Grill.
‘To me, it’s a simple product and that makes it fun,? he says. ‘It’s the way I prefer to live… it’s back to basics and doing something more traditional.?
A tool and die maker by trade, Walker designed and used expanded metal to construct by hand a grilling surface with a raised edge that could be safely suspended over an open fire pit. Using semi-production tooling, he built more than 100 of the 20 x 25 inch grills that can hold 24 strip steaks, 70 hot dogs, or 30 large burgers.
Walker did not aggressively pursue producing and marketing his invention for several years as he was busy with family ‘he is married to Beverly and has four children’and working as a plant manager at an automotive stamping facility. But in 2002, as Walker says the ‘automotive industry was taking a dive,? he quit his job and in the fall of 2003, began work on making his invention a success.
He refined his product several times, learned about importation and made friends with manufacturers in China, where The Perfect Campfire Grill is now produced in order to control costs.
‘The patent process is easy,? notes Walker. ‘Communicating with the Chinese is not. It’s overwhelming at times.?
Since last April, 2,080 of The Perfect Campfire Grills have been manufactured and Walker has sold about 1,000 through Dunham’s sporting good stores and retailer General RV Center. The grills are shipped to an area warehouse and the stores take delivery there. Walker has also stored grills in his garage and sold 140 on his website, www.campfiregrill.com.
Walker’s venture has not been profitable for him yet. He notes it is expensive for the tooling to produce the grills and marketing his invention costs ‘a fortune.? The money he has made he has put back into his business, building a base and product line, which will soon include three designs of smaller campfire grills, the smallest of which is being marketed for motorcyclists and will fit in a saddlebag.
All of The Perfect Campfire Grills are designed to help campers get back to basics. Walker notes the taste is unique too and different depending on the wood used, which could include cherry, apple, mesquite, maple and hickory.
The Perfect Campfire Grill is very effective, adjustable, and cooks can spin the grill away from the flame as necessary.
Walker envisions his grill in every store in the country, but until then, he continues to work full-time as a tool and die maker.
‘There’s not enough time in a day,? he says. ‘I could spend 12 hours a day doing this right now. It’s been a difficult process, but it’s been fun doing it.?