Innovators of 4c plan to butter the parsnips

IDEAS ping round the unkempt offices of 4c Design like atoms round a particle generator. The three young product designers, who have recently won a £50,000 Smart award, fairly crackle with the static of new thinking.

"Everyone in the office devotes six hours a week to blue-sky innovation," said Nick Lonie, one of the founding directors, pointing to colour images on the wall. "They work on a project, like these headphones or that cling film dispenser. It's like building up a stock."

But ideas – like fine words – butter no parsnips, and the Glasgow-based team is, in its second year of operation, undergoing the creatively painful process of narrowing its output down to the manufacturable projects that are likely to make money.

Not that it is doing too badly at the moment. First year turnover of £80,000 in the per-iod to February 2003 – on which it was profitable – is projected to rise above £200,000 this year. It now employs five people and will have another two by early next year.

Lonie and fellow directors – Peter Inglis and Robin Smith – are focusing on using the £50,000 Smart money to bring a particular product to the manufacture stage. It is a heat knife which cuts synthetic rope and, at the same time, seals it.

This may not sound like a world-beating innovation, but in the competitive and highly lucrative arena of yachting and industrial marine, there could be a huge market. Sailors do not splice rope any more – it is sealed with someone's lighter in a finger-burning process.

A simple, one-stroke device could be a winner, and the 4c trio are working with their alma mater, Glasgow University, which is helping with design of the internal mechanisms.

The other design for which 4c has high hopes is an ocean survival liferaft, to which it holds the intellectual property rights. It has no intention of taking this to manufacture, but, in conjunction with English-based venture capitalists, hopes to bring in substantial revenue with a one-off sale of patents.

The maritime theme runs through what 4c does, and Lonie explained that the founders all have an interest in dinghy sailing and yachting. That understanding of requirements led to a remarkable deal with Lewmar, the yacht access-ories maker. It asked 4c to design and prototype a new winch for its appearance at the London Boat Show. The request was made at Christmas. The show was on January 7, and 4c's hastily put-together design allowed Lewmar to sell £1m of business at the show.

Other design avenues include a student award which led to a deal with Eaton Williams, the UK-wide air conditioning manufacturer, to rethink an air conditioning unit, including the entire internal mechanisms. As a bonus, it looked good as well.

Concentration on stylishness led to liaisons with Land Rover and Battistinis, the custom cycle outfit, for which 4c made handle grips, foot pegs and gear shifters.

It has also produced a four-wheeled kite buggy for extreme sports enthusiasts, although Lonie admits that it is primarily used as a marketing tool. "Everyone wants to sit on it," he said.

Now 4c is looking for long-term growth through royalty revenue and eventual manufacture. "At the moment," said Lonie, "all our income comes from consultancy fees, on the grounds that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

"However, Robin is now going to concentrate on commercialising our ideas, although that could take a year or two to bear fruit.

Ron Clark The Herald 19-01-04