# S6E13 Geoffrey Huber | Bespoke Ladders, Communicating Through Drawing, & Having a Big Customer

- Show: [Being an Engineer](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer)
- Published: 2025-03-28
- Length: 45m
- Episode: 13
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-03-28-s6e13-geoffrey-huber-bespoke-ladders-communicating-through-drawing-having-a-big

## Summary

Geoffrey Huber, Co-Owner of SAFE-T-FAB (a division of Industrial Products Limited), discusses his transition from art school to industrial design and the founding of his custom access equipment business. He explains how leveraging 3D modeling and immersive design communication allowed his company to capture high-margin custom contracts from major retailers and aerospace clients, ultimately leading to the sale of SAFE-T-FAB to a large customer. Huber emphasizes the critical importance of hands-on manufacturing experience for young engineers and details how his team uses configurator-based modeling and visual storytelling to sell bespoke solutions like cantilever ladders and aircraft maintenance stands.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-03-28-s6e13-geoffrey-huber-bespoke-ladders-communicating-through-drawing-having-a-big#t=0) Introduction: Geoffrey Huber and SAFE-T-FAB
- [0:53](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-03-28-s6e13-geoffrey-huber-bespoke-ladders-communicating-through-drawing-having-a-big#t=53) From Art School to Industrial Design at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh
- [3:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-03-28-s6e13-geoffrey-huber-bespoke-ladders-communicating-through-drawing-having-a-big#t=212) Learning Manufacturing at a Ladder Factory and Building a Custom Department
- [11:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-03-28-s6e13-geoffrey-huber-bespoke-ladders-communicating-through-drawing-having-a-big#t=668) The Profitability of Custom vs. Off-the-Shelf Ladders
- [16:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-03-28-s6e13-geoffrey-huber-bespoke-ladders-communicating-through-drawing-having-a-big#t=968) Founding SAFE-T-FAB and Selling to a Major Customer
- [19:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-03-28-s6e13-geoffrey-huber-bespoke-ladders-communicating-through-drawing-having-a-big#t=1169) Key Projects: CH-53K Stands and Southwest Airlines Provo Stands
- [25:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-03-28-s6e13-geoffrey-huber-bespoke-ladders-communicating-through-drawing-having-a-big#t=1540) Lessons on Scaling and the 'Tiger by the Tail' Nature of Ownership
- [32:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-03-28-s6e13-geoffrey-huber-bespoke-ladders-communicating-through-drawing-having-a-big#t=1946) Leveraging Marquee Clients and Selling via Website Storytelling
- [38:55](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-03-28-s6e13-geoffrey-huber-bespoke-ladders-communicating-through-drawing-having-a-big#t=2335) Advice for Young Engineers: The Value of Hands-On Manufacturing
- [42:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-03-28-s6e13-geoffrey-huber-bespoke-ladders-communicating-through-drawing-having-a-big#t=2523) Personal Life: Bodybuilding and Mental Discipline

## Topics

- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [Design for manufacturing & NPI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/design-for-manufacturing)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [Growth, exits & acquisitions](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/growth-exits-and-acquisitions)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- SAFE-T-FAB (company)
- Industrial Products Limited (company)
- The Art Institute of Pittsburgh (other)
- AutoCAD (tool)
- CH-53K (product)
- Sikorsky (company)
- Lockheed (company)
- Southwest Airlines (company)
- Vocera badge (product)
- Pipeline Design & Engineering (company)
- The Wave (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [180: Hardware Startup Tips for Non-Technical Founders](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2023-06-15-180-hardware-startup-tips-for-non-technical-founders) (Product Startup)
- [Design and Engineering Shouldn't Be Separate Islands | Pensar, Tactile, Mathscaper, Vector7 | Rob Leonard](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/tradeoffs/2026-07-27-design-and-engineering-shouldnt-be-separate-islands-pensar-tactile-mathscaper-ve) (TRADEOFFS)
- [STL364: Good Design Goes Unnoticed](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/shop-talk-live/2026-04-17-stl364-good-design-goes-unnoticed) (Shop Talk Live)
- [036: Helping Wildlife & Developing Ceramic Products with Gavin Christman of Green&Blue](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2017-01-17-036-helping-wildlife-developing-ceramic-products-with-gavin-christman-of-green-b) (Product Startup)
- [Em Moshouris (Founder, WORC)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/just-gonna-send-it/2026-02-11-em-moshouris-founder-worc) (Just Gonna Send It)

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