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Firm that makes devices to alert deaf people aims to be No. 1
Firm that makes devices to alert deaf people aims to be No. 1
March 14, 2005
BY GREG TASKER
FREE PRESS SPECIAL WRITER
About a quarter-century ago, George Elwell left a prestigious, secure job at the world's largest automaker to launch his own firm, a business he hoped would help others and, he explains, allow him to "walk in my faith."
With inspiration from his deaf brother-in-law, Elwell researched ways to use technology to alert deaf and hearing-impaired people to noises that those who can hear take for granted: door bells, alarm clocks, baby monitors and pagers.
His first device, a receiver with lights that flashed for the doorbell, telephone, pager and sound monitor for a baby crying, came after several years of research and development. Called the Good Vibrations Receiver, the device helped Elwell launch his company, and in 1988, he left General Motors Corp.
"I had been praying to have a business to help other people. I wanted to walk into my faith," said Elwell, a former engineering tech who worked in advanced product design. "My brother-in-law was deaf, and I began wondering, How do you know when there is a fire?
"I thought there had to be technology. I knew electronics engineers, and I did research. The good Lord started giving me ideas, and it all just started coming together."
Walking in his faith has not been without challenge, but Elwell has realized his dream of owning his own business and helping others. His Waterford-based company has been credited with many firsts, including the creation of a device that alerts deaf parents when a baby is crying and a variety of vibrating and strobe-light devices such as fire and smoke alarms.
Silent Call Communications is among a handful of companies in the world producing communication and electronic devices for deaf, hard-of-hearing or deaf and blind people. Among its 32 products are state-of-the-art alerting devices, receivers, transmitters and alarms that use light and vibration to signal doorbells; smoke, fire and carbon monoxide detectors; burglar alarms; alarm clocks, telephones and weather alerts.
"As technology has gotten better, we've gotten better, and we've downsized the products as needed. It's a struggle to balance the costs of making products and selling them," said Elwell, the company's president. "We're not selling to people who are in high-income brackets."
Recently, the company made local headlines when Silent Call announced it no longer would outsource its manufacturing overseas. For the last four years, a small Taiwanese company has been building circuit boards and assembling products. Most of that work has returned to the United States -- in Oakland County.
Taking advantage of a Bush administration policy that allows companies looking to expand to write off equipment purchases, Elwell bought an automated assembly machine and robot and has hired five more employees, all of whom work at the company's Waterford location.
"We are always looking for ways to enhance our ability to service the growing number of people that are deaf, hard-of-hearing or deaf-blind, around the country," Elwell said.
"This change further positions our company to achieve our vision of becoming the world's No. 1 supplier of high-quality devices for people that need them. Plus, we're doing something for the community."
Of Michigan's 10 million residents, about 1 million are deaf or hard of hearing. The breakdown: 98,000 are deaf, 661,000 are hard of hearing/deaf, and 563,000 are hard of hearing, statistics from the Michigan Division on Deaf and Hard of Hearing show.
"There's a misconception that these devices are only for the deaf," said Karen Frohrib, program coordinator for the National Center for Hearing Assistive Technology in suburban Washington, D.C.
"It's surprising to learn that someone with a hearing problem might not hear a high-pitched smoke alarm. The knowledge and the use of these products can mean the difference between life and death. Devices that vibrate or flash strobe lights in the event of a fire can prevent a tragedy."
She said the products made by Silent Call and other companies will be invaluable to an aging population.
It's estimated one in three people older than 65 will have some sort of hearing problem, and these devices can help them in everyday life, she said. Her organization offers financial assistance to those in need of the devices, which can range in cost from $25 to $1,000.
The privately held company last year boasted sales of $1.5 million and expects to reach $2 million in 2005, Elwell said. His roster of clients include Holiday Inn, Carnival Cruise Lines, the U.S. Postal Service, the State of California, the Province of Quebec, and the American Red Cross, as well as schools, plants, warehouses, retirement centers and individuals.
Silent Call's products are available through distributors, catalogues, trade shows and its Web site, www.silentcall.com.
Carnival Cruise Lines carries Silent Call kits -- containing a TTY (text telephone), alert devices for doorbells and smoke, and an alarm clock -- for deaf passengers on its 20 ships, said Ralph Dennis, the company's director of hotel services. Silent Call is the only alert-device manufacturer Carnival buys from, he said.
"It's been a pleasure dealing with George at Silent Call," Dennis said. "He's been very easy to deal with and he's adapted products to fit our needs. His products are great, and they've been very helpful to our passengers."
Lynda Earhart is Oakland County's small-business consultant on its economic development team and has been working with Elwell the last year as he strives to expand his business.
She described Silent Call as an anomaly in an era of outsourcing and disposable products. Elwell, she said, strives to produce quality products and devices meant to last. The company offers a five-year warranty and doesn't wince at repairing -- at no charge -- a product that might have been damaged because of customer error.
"Safety, comfort and independence are important for the people who are using these products every day. It's very important that they're reliable," Earhart said.
She said, even though Elwell's decision to relocate his manufacturing to Michigan garnered some media attention, it was a deliberate business decision.
"In my opinion, he looked at the whole picture, where he has his manufacturing, its effects on his customers, the cost, the quality, and the delivery time -- all those things," she said. "He made a decision he would do better if he brought it home."
Elwell, 66, has no plans to retire. The goal he continues to nurture is to make Silent Call Communications the largest manufacturer of alert devices in the world.
He hopes to double the company's production in 2005 and is looking for new space in Waterford. Silent Call has outgrown its 4,000-square-foot office and warehouse.
"I wanted to know what it meant to trust God. My prayer was that I would learn. It hasn't been easy, but I've learned. I've met that goal," Elwell said.
"If I wanted money I would have stayed at GM. This is not just a business for me. This is a mission. This is my Christian field. This is my ministry."
Firm that makes devices to alert deaf people aims to be No. 1
March 14, 2005
BY GREG TASKER
FREE PRESS SPECIAL WRITER
About a quarter-century ago, George Elwell left a prestigious, secure job at the world's largest automaker to launch his own firm, a business he hoped would help others and, he explains, allow him to "walk in my faith."
With inspiration from his deaf brother-in-law, Elwell researched ways to use technology to alert deaf and hearing-impaired people to noises that those who can hear take for granted: door bells, alarm clocks, baby monitors and pagers.
His first device, a receiver with lights that flashed for the doorbell, telephone, pager and sound monitor for a baby crying, came after several years of research and development. Called the Good Vibrations Receiver, the device helped Elwell launch his company, and in 1988, he left General Motors Corp.
"I had been praying to have a business to help other people. I wanted to walk into my faith," said Elwell, a former engineering tech who worked in advanced product design. "My brother-in-law was deaf, and I began wondering, How do you know when there is a fire?
"I thought there had to be technology. I knew electronics engineers, and I did research. The good Lord started giving me ideas, and it all just started coming together."
Walking in his faith has not been without challenge, but Elwell has realized his dream of owning his own business and helping others. His Waterford-based company has been credited with many firsts, including the creation of a device that alerts deaf parents when a baby is crying and a variety of vibrating and strobe-light devices such as fire and smoke alarms.
Silent Call Communications is among a handful of companies in the world producing communication and electronic devices for deaf, hard-of-hearing or deaf and blind people. Among its 32 products are state-of-the-art alerting devices, receivers, transmitters and alarms that use light and vibration to signal doorbells; smoke, fire and carbon monoxide detectors; burglar alarms; alarm clocks, telephones and weather alerts.
"As technology has gotten better, we've gotten better, and we've downsized the products as needed. It's a struggle to balance the costs of making products and selling them," said Elwell, the company's president. "We're not selling to people who are in high-income brackets."
Recently, the company made local headlines when Silent Call announced it no longer would outsource its manufacturing overseas. For the last four years, a small Taiwanese company has been building circuit boards and assembling products. Most of that work has returned to the United States -- in Oakland County.
Taking advantage of a Bush administration policy that allows companies looking to expand to write off equipment purchases, Elwell bought an automated assembly machine and robot and has hired five more employees, all of whom work at the company's Waterford location.
"We are always looking for ways to enhance our ability to service the growing number of people that are deaf, hard-of-hearing or deaf-blind, around the country," Elwell said.
"This change further positions our company to achieve our vision of becoming the world's No. 1 supplier of high-quality devices for people that need them. Plus, we're doing something for the community."
Of Michigan's 10 million residents, about 1 million are deaf or hard of hearing. The breakdown: 98,000 are deaf, 661,000 are hard of hearing/deaf, and 563,000 are hard of hearing, statistics from the Michigan Division on Deaf and Hard of Hearing show.
"There's a misconception that these devices are only for the deaf," said Karen Frohrib, program coordinator for the National Center for Hearing Assistive Technology in suburban Washington, D.C.
"It's surprising to learn that someone with a hearing problem might not hear a high-pitched smoke alarm. The knowledge and the use of these products can mean the difference between life and death. Devices that vibrate or flash strobe lights in the event of a fire can prevent a tragedy."
She said the products made by Silent Call and other companies will be invaluable to an aging population.
It's estimated one in three people older than 65 will have some sort of hearing problem, and these devices can help them in everyday life, she said. Her organization offers financial assistance to those in need of the devices, which can range in cost from $25 to $1,000.
The privately held company last year boasted sales of $1.5 million and expects to reach $2 million in 2005, Elwell said. His roster of clients include Holiday Inn, Carnival Cruise Lines, the U.S. Postal Service, the State of California, the Province of Quebec, and the American Red Cross, as well as schools, plants, warehouses, retirement centers and individuals.
Silent Call's products are available through distributors, catalogues, trade shows and its Web site, www.silentcall.com.
Carnival Cruise Lines carries Silent Call kits -- containing a TTY (text telephone), alert devices for doorbells and smoke, and an alarm clock -- for deaf passengers on its 20 ships, said Ralph Dennis, the company's director of hotel services. Silent Call is the only alert-device manufacturer Carnival buys from, he said.
"It's been a pleasure dealing with George at Silent Call," Dennis said. "He's been very easy to deal with and he's adapted products to fit our needs. His products are great, and they've been very helpful to our passengers."
Lynda Earhart is Oakland County's small-business consultant on its economic development team and has been working with Elwell the last year as he strives to expand his business.
She described Silent Call as an anomaly in an era of outsourcing and disposable products. Elwell, she said, strives to produce quality products and devices meant to last. The company offers a five-year warranty and doesn't wince at repairing -- at no charge -- a product that might have been damaged because of customer error.
"Safety, comfort and independence are important for the people who are using these products every day. It's very important that they're reliable," Earhart said.
She said, even though Elwell's decision to relocate his manufacturing to Michigan garnered some media attention, it was a deliberate business decision.
"In my opinion, he looked at the whole picture, where he has his manufacturing, its effects on his customers, the cost, the quality, and the delivery time -- all those things," she said. "He made a decision he would do better if he brought it home."
Elwell, 66, has no plans to retire. The goal he continues to nurture is to make Silent Call Communications the largest manufacturer of alert devices in the world.
He hopes to double the company's production in 2005 and is looking for new space in Waterford. Silent Call has outgrown its 4,000-square-foot office and warehouse.
"I wanted to know what it meant to trust God. My prayer was that I would learn. It hasn't been easy, but I've learned. I've met that goal," Elwell said.
"If I wanted money I would have stayed at GM. This is not just a business for me. This is a mission. This is my Christian field. This is my ministry."