Dana Wolfe of Manson, Iowa, founded Wolfe’s E-Z On Safety Harness System in 1997 after a friend died when he fell from a tree while hunting. Dana realized there had to be a way to make safety harnesses easier for hunters to wear, because he knew a lot of hunters didn’t wear safety harnesses because they were inconvenient to put on.

From his home, and with his own funds, Dana designed a harness that is fully integrated with a coat (or vest) that a hunter will wear, making the harness virtually disappear. He purchased snaps and installed them on the coat and the pre-manufactured harness so the harness attached to the outside of the coat. Once the coat is on, the harness is buckled around the waist. The harness is also detachable and interchangeable between all of his products. Dana and his wife saw the value of this device and invested the funds to secure the patent.

Initially, Dana displayed his prototype vest at the Wild Iowa White Toe Classic Show and received a lot of interest from attendees. In 2008 Dana contacted the North Central Iowa Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in Fort Dodge, Iowa for advice, just as he was getting started in showing and selling his products.

SBDC Regional Center Director Lisa Shimkat helped Dana write a business plan and then worked with him through the processes of obtaining a sales tax permit, meeting OSHA regulations for the product, determining price structure, and designing his marketing materials, logo and website. He now has multiple coats, vests, snow suits, and coveralls available to customers at very reasonable prices. Plus, the prices are about the same cost as these clothes already sell for without any kind of attached harness.

After being laid off from Electrolux recently, Dana had more time to devote to expanding his safety harness business. He researched branching into industrial clients like wind energy and electric companies because safety harnesses are crucial in industries where employees must work on top of very high structures. Companies can rest easier knowing that with the harness as part of the work vest or coat, the likelihood of each employee wearing and securing the integrated harness is much higher than if they were two separate pieces.

Dana is currently working with the SBDC to redesign his brochures and marketing materials to more effectively reach out to these industries, to inform them of the value of his products for their employees, and ultimately, their businesses. He’s also currently working with the SBDC to expand his target market.

Dana credits the Small Business Development Center with helping him learn how to market his product and how to talk to businesses. He is also grateful to Lisa Shimkat for continually giving him the motivation to keep going and not giving up.

Go to www.wolfesafetyharness.com for more information on the different types of Dana Wolfe’s EZ On Safety Harness Systems and how easy they are to put on.