Invaluable Tool for the DIY Consumer
The Noma cord-caddy is one of those innovative products that are so good you take them for granted. It’s an example of a simple design that makes everyday life both easier and more efficient. It has sold over 8 million units since being launched in the marketplace in 1985, and is still in production. The Cord-Caddy was developed to appeal to the DIY consumer who needed a strong and resilient indoor/outdoor use extension cord (20 ft. long) and a place to store it compactly without tangles in-between uses.
The device was designed by Bert Bobrovniczky of b&b Design Associates Inc. in the early 1980s for Noma Industries Inc., a major manufacturer of electrical cables for construction, automotive and consumer products at the time. Noma Industries was sold to the USA company, Woods Industries and that was recently sold to another USA company, Coleman Cable Inc. But through all these changes sales of the Noma Cord-Caddy have remained strong.
Noma Cord-Caddy: Invaluable Tool for the DIY Consumer
One reason for the cord-caddy’s longevity is its simple manufacturability. It is made in two injection-moulded structural foam parts that can be fabricated on one machine.
Shortly after the growing demand made the caddy a high volume production item, the designer was commissioned to create a large version of the product (Cord-Caddy II). to store a 50 ft. indoor/outdoor electrical cord. Both smaller and larger units could be made on the same machine in one moulding cycle and this yielded an additional financial benefit. Due to a fixed handle a feature was also introduced to enable two products to be packaged face to face to minimize shipping box size.
The design of the Noma Cord-Caddy enables the DIY consumer to use four different types of equipment from one wall outlet. If the circuit should become overloaded there is a built in circuit breaker. And If the power were to be left on indoors, or outside in the rain, it would still not present a safety hazard ….
because the water would flow in and out of the device without touching any live parts.
One satisfied customer wrote to the designer:
“Just wanted to say that the small cord-caddy shown on your site has been one of the most valuable tools I have ever owned. Excellent design !!”
Project Credits
Type of project: Industrial Design
Designer: Bert Bobrovniczky
Email address: bandb@on.aibn.com
Telephone number: (416) 445-7563
Employer: b&b design associates, Inc.
Design Team: Kory Graham, Dr. Andrzej Sikorski
Website: www.banbdesign.com
Design association affiliation: Association of Chartered Industrial Designers of Ontario (ACIDO)
Client Organization Name: NOMA INDUSTRIES INC. Client Website: not available
