Swiss+Tech manufactures and distributes precision-crafted, lightweight pocket-sized key ring and emergency preparedness tools.

The Cleveland-based company's business model called for it to outsource its design and engineering needs.

"We made a strategic decision to concentrate on what we think we do best: marketing, sales and distribution," says Bennett Rubin, Executive Vice President. "But new product development is a key component of our plan for growth and success. So we hire outside talent to fill in the gaps."

In 2006, Swiss+Tech introduced its BodyGard 5-in-1 Emergency Tool which combines an automatic glass breaker, a seat belt cutter, sonic alarm, bright LED light and an emergency flasher in a device small enough to fit on a key chain or in a pocket.

Rubin says the BodyGard 5-in-1 was designed for retail channels like Target. For 2007, the company wanted to launch a companion product for upscale retail channels like Brookstone and Sharper Image. To differentiate the new product, the company needed to upgrade the BodyGard 5-in-1 design to fit more tools into a sleeker, more elegant-looking form factor.