Changing the Way the World Moves, One Step at a Time
“Chasm crossing is not the end, but rather the beginning, of mainstream market development.”
― Geoffrey A. Moore, Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and Selling Disruptive Products to Mainstream Customers
Dustan Skidmore, Plug Power’s VP Engineering, was just named to the 2017 Food Logistics’ Champions: Rock Stars of the Supply Chain award for his department’s work on our ProGen product line. The award recognizes influential individuals in the food logistics industry whose achievements, hard work, and vision have shaped and attained milestones in safety, efficiency, productivity and innovation through the global food supply chain. From early pioneers and entrepreneurs to non-conformist thinkers and executive standouts, this award aims to honor these leaders and their contributions to the industry.
Skidmore commented, “The secret is that there is no secret when it comes to product development. It’s just continual innovation by a talented team of people dedicated to finding solutions to logistics challenges. Make things easier, make things better a little at a time and eventually you change the way the world moves.”
Opportunities flourish for growth-stage companies. As many have discovered, trying to do everything all at once just isn’t possible – and focus is mandated in order to grow in any sector, but possibly more so in the hydrogen and fuel cell sector. That’s why, in 2009, Plug Power decided to narrow its focus to the material handling sector, where our fuel cell products were perfectly suited to replacing batteries in electric forklifts that run 24/7 for most of the year. The world now knows Plug Power as the leader in this market, with more than 14,000 fuel cell forklifts enhancing productivity for many customers, including Walmart, Home Depot and BMW, who together have rapidly adopted the solution, performing more than 5 million hydrogen fuelings.
But that didn’t happen overnight or in one fell swoop. For Plug Power, this played out as the product’s value proposition became apparent, and the company moved through the technology adoption curve, attracting innovators and early adopters, and is now crossing the chasm to securing customers in the “Early Majority” of the adoption curve.
And we continue to improve the breadth and depth of our solutions suite for each set of customers we serve. This activity is expedited with the innovative ProGen work being done by Skidmore and his team.
It’s about taking things one step at a time. One project at a time. One industry at a time. It’s how Plug Power has become a leader in material handling. And, it’s how Plug Power is taking this blueprint for success into new industries like on-road vehicle electrification. Changing the way the world moves one step at a time.
More information about this year’s 2017 Food Logistics’ Champions: Rock Stars of the Supply Chain award recipients can be found in the March 2017 issue of Food Logistics, as well as online at www.foodlogistics.com.
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