New product design – introducing Martyn Kenneally

New product design – introducing Martyn Kenneally
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Selo invests heavily in New Product Development (NPD) to ensure that the products we design and develop meet the ever-changing needs of our customers. We pride ourselves on leading the way in our industry and simplicity is at the heart of everything we do.

We’re pleased to introduce Martyn Kenneally who has recently joined our NPD team as Product Development Manager. We take a few moments to chat with Martyn about his career history, his experience and why he’s pleased to be part of the Selo family.

Tell us about your career...

My passion for design began when I was working for a product startup designing consumer electronic smartphone accessories for Apple products. Soon after that, I moved on to pocket door company where I enjoyed being involved in the engineering and production environment. My product development experience continued in various fields throughout my career from the medical industry to neuroscience.

 

Tell us about something you're working on...

Riser doors are a big part of our business, and a riser door is meant to be invisible when fitted. All riser doors have a square key lock protruding from the face and some also have euro locks. This necessary addition breaks the invisible illusion. To date, other manufacturers have created retrofitted solutions of either cheap plastic covers or covers requiring additional tools for removal.

I wanted to create something completely integrated into the door requiring no additional tools to open it and something that cannot be detached and lost. The solution is a flush hinged cover on a magnetic latch which provides a simple and elegant solution while still giving full access to both locks. Selo’s riser door raised the bar when it was launched and this addition to the design, raises it once again. It’s testament to our commitment to continuous improvement.

Why did you want to work with Selo?

I felt Selo was at a unique transitional stage where we’d achieved rapid growth over a short space of time through innovation.  I was keen to support this innovation to retain our market position and achieve our growth potential. The culture here is very positive, and there is a great team spirit where we support each other.

What's next?

For a company to be successful, I feel that it must continually innovate and move forward. A good idea will be copied and eventually destroyed by the competition – so an innovative company who’s leading the field cannot rest on past successes. We must continue moving forward to stay ahead and my role is integral to this. As Steve Jobs so rightly said, “Innovation is the only way to win”.
If you’re planning your next project please get in touch – we’d love to hear from you.