# 143: Build Your Own Manufacturing for Your Invention

- Show: [Product Startup](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup)
- Published: 2022-09-28
- Length: 25m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-09-28-143-build-your-own-manufacturing-for-your-invention
- Listen: https://productstartup.com/

## Summary

Don Skaggs, founder of US Biotex Corporation and President of the Inventors Network Kentucky, explains how he bootstrapped a local manufacturing facility from a farmhouse in 1991, growing it to over 150 products before selling the company in 2014. He details the strategic decision to keep production in-house to maintain close integration between R&D, marketing, and sales, allowing for rapid iteration based on direct customer feedback from hospital laboratories. Skaggs emphasizes the importance of using Original Equipment Manufactured (OEM) parts rather than reinventing every component, and leveraging cross-industry technology transfers to innovate cost-effectively. He concludes by discussing his current work with the Inventors Network, helping entrepreneurs find the intersection of their passion and expertise.

## Chapters

- [0:49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-09-28-143-build-your-own-manufacturing-for-your-invention#t=49) Introduction: Don Skaggs and US Biotex Corporation
- [1:50](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-09-28-143-build-your-own-manufacturing-for-your-invention#t=110) Bootstrapping US Biotex from a Farmhouse
- [4:55](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-09-28-143-build-your-own-manufacturing-for-your-invention#t=295) Decision to Manufacture In-House vs. Outsourcing
- [7:38](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-09-28-143-build-your-own-manufacturing-for-your-invention#t=458) Using OEM Parts and Cross-Industry Innovation
- [12:57](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-09-28-143-build-your-own-manufacturing-for-your-invention#t=777) Advantages of In-House R&D and Customer Feedback
- [19:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-09-28-143-build-your-own-manufacturing-for-your-invention#t=1148) Selling US Biotex and Finding Passion
- [20:21](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-09-28-143-build-your-own-manufacturing-for-your-invention#t=1221) The Inventors Network Kentucky and Community Support

## Topics

- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Founder wellbeing](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/founder-wellbeing)

## Most relevant to

founders before launch, companies scaling up, established companies

## Mentioned

- US Biotex Corporation (company)
- Inventors Network Kentucky (company)
- Mako Design + Invent (company)
- Mercury Tracer Wagon (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [180: Made in Missouri, Live from the 2024 Midwest Manufacturers Trade Show & Conference](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2024-04-09-180-made-in-missouri-live-from-the-2024-midwest-manufacturers-trade-show-confere) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [S3 E7: Building Bootstrapped Hardware That Sells with Christian Reed](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-builder-circle/2026-01-13-s3-e7-building-bootstrapped-hardware-that-sells-with-christian-reed) (The Builder Circle)
- [S1 E4: Cracking the Code of Hardware Manufacturing with Scott Miller](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-builder-circle/2023-05-15-s1-e4-cracking-the-code-of-hardware-manufacturing-with-scott-miller) (The Builder Circle)
- [Ep. 8 - Ryan from V1 Engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/open-hardware-manufacturing-podcast/2023-11-09-ep-8-ryan-from-v1-engineering) (Open Hardware Manufacturing Podcast)
- [#016 - Developing with a hardware engineering company, with Karoly Molnar of ProDSP Technologies, Hungary](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-03-08-016-developing-with-a-hardware-engineering-company-with-karoly-molnar-of-prodsp) (The Hardware Entrepreneur)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-09-28-143-build-your-own-manufacturing-for-your-invention. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Product Startup.