Combining his entrepreneurial spirit with his skills in design and manufacturing, Dan Visser, founder of Easy Access Industrial Design, has been quietly building his business over the past 15 years the old-fashioned way: by building a better mousetrap.
Specifically, it’s building scaffolding-like products that can help people do their jobs more efficiently and more safely.
While Easy Access is the name of the company, the website is scissordeck.com, named after his company’s first and still most popular product.
“I launched in 2005 with the Scissor Deck, because I noticed a need in the RV servicing market for improved access around the RV bodies for maintenance,” said Visser, whose company is based in British Columbia, Canada. “Previously, most RV dealerships were using ladders and unsafe box-store scaffolds.”
Visser earned a marketing operations diploma from the British Columbia Institute of Technology, which is where he started his first business from scratch: a lumber remanufacturing business. He grew it to some 45 employees before selling it and getting into the import business.
“Previously I imported a homeowner and trades scissor-type scaffold and took up the challenge to improve the design for North America’s industrial market,” Visser said. “I had a growing list of features that were named by prospective customers which my imported product did not provide a solution for.”
And so, in 2005, he launched his own company, incorporating many of the features his customers were asking for, but his previous company would not deliver on.
“I was originally targeting RV dealership maintenance departments,” Visser said. “The reception was very good because Scissor Deck provided a solution for RV sidewall and roof edge access that was overdue.”
Since the very beginning, the Scissor Deck system has consisted of two Scissor Decks, a bridging plank and full handrails. As its popularity grew, Visser expanded and now offers the 4000 Series up to the 9000 series, so named because of the maximum height of each model.
In recent years, Easy Access has broadened its product lines. The company now offers the Stack Deck, its newest product, as well as the Sturdy Deck. It also has powered rooftop containment systems – adjustable to taller Class A coaches and fifth wheels – and the company will soon offer a powered version of the Scissor Deck.
“I launched these other brands to address the requests from prospective customers who required further customization to suit their needs,” Visser said.
That ability to customize is what led CanaDream, one of Canada’s largest RV rental companies, to contact him about building a special type of platform system for them.
“I developed one system for their Montreal branch, which they were happy with,” Visser said. “And then they further tasked me to design in a tilt-back option to allow the system to be able to enter 14-foot door heights. So, we developed a tilt-back system which I integrated into the powered lifting system.”
That ability to deliver what the customer wants has been key to Easy Access’ growth in the past 15-plus years, and the company’s reputation has grown to such that the Canadian military contacted him about a particular need that they thought he could fulfill. About that, Visser’s not saying much, other than he’s thrilled for the opportunity.
“The growth of our business and product lines is based on our customers; they have played a key role in assisting designing our systems to meet their needs for improved access and safety,” he said.