Background
Jake Peters and his buddies liked to work on their trucks. They wanted the vehicles to serve their needs as best as possible, whether for fun or work. This meant organizing all the cargo, for whatever the next task or adventure might be.
After experimenting (and battling) with homemade wooden drawers, and storage compartments made of plywood, dimensional lumber and big box store hardware, they knew there had to be a better way.
What started out on a napkin in a local diner, evolved into 3 years of R&D and two full-length, weatherproof, 2000 pound payload retaining, 100% American made pickup truck storage systems.
DECKED was born!
The team at DECKED came to Miles Products with a great product concept and unique challenge. We are proud to have helped them realize their vision and win the war on disorganized trucks everywhere!
Challenges
She packed her seven versalia, put her initial into the belt and made herself on the way. When she reached the first hills of the Italic Mountains, she had a last view back on the skyline of her hometown Bookmarksgrove,
Solutions
Launching a new product is challenging in its own right. Doubly so when you’re required to design, engineer and manufacture the product and then develop the marketing channels all from scratch.
Miles Products provided numerous manufacturing solutions, ideas and options for DECKED to consider making the job of supplier selection a more simple task. This allowed the DECKED team to focus their time and efforts on other tasks.
Miles Products’ longtime partners at 20/20 Custom Molded Plastics are one of America’s leading structural foam molding facilities. We offered DECKED a complete service from product and tool design, through production, fulfillment and unmatched customer service.
Miles Products, 20/20 and the DECKED Engineers worked hand in hand on Design For Manufacturability solutions. A seamless collaboration process provided valuable design feedback and assistance. A simple, honest and worry-free buying experience is a key part of our offering.
Deep Manufacturing Experience And Capabilities
Along with the main large structural foam components, Miles Products provided manufacturing sources for many of the other product accessories and components.
These included:
- Plastic Injection Molding (product components such as containers, covers & dividers)
- Decorative Metal Stampings
- Die-cast Metal Handles
- Cold Headed Axles and Tie Downs
Why It Worked
- Structural foam molding was perfectly suited for producing the very durable, large-sized yet lightweight components required.
- Technologies such as multi-nozzle molding allowed molding of multiple parts simultaneously, saving on production costs.
- Other benefits of low-pressure molding such as the use of aluminum tools provided further savings.
- Contract manufacturing expertise by 20/20.
Results
Today DECKED is a leading provider of pickup truck and work van accessories with dealers and distribution in every state of the union. Their customers include contractors both large and small, utility companies, farmers, ranchers and folks who use their vehicles for all sorts of recreational pursuits. DECKED provides products designed for custom installation on most models sold in the USA.
Together with 20/20 Custom Molded Plastics, we remain a trusted partner for DECKED providing molded thermoplastics manufacturing, assembly, distribution services and more.
”Miles Products was an indispensable partner in the early development of the DECKED system.
JAKE PETERSDECKED FOUNDER
Fair open dialog on the best course of action to meet customer requirements. Years of experience in manufacturing excellence; knowledge and know how to meet the tough challenges. Bring your challenges over to Miles Products, Inc.