About
FAST TURNAROUND
MADE IN THE USA
FULLY CUSTOMIZABLE
UNIVERSAL MOUNTING
THE BEGINNING
At Padholder, they know that a happy customer is the key to success in this competitive market. That’s why their sales team always has their phones close at hand and their customer service reps are swift to respond and help solve any issues. It’s clear that companies who don’t prioritize customer satisfaction risk falling behind: with comparisons, reviews and abundant competitors available online, consumers have more powerful than ever. Nonetheless, Padholder remains committed to building an ever-growing fan base. Their vision for the future is to create the one-stop shop for all tablet accessories with superior products and excellent services that keep customers coming back time after time. Jim takes his role in making sure this happens very seriously; in fact, he plans on personally responding to emails as long as he can!
THE EARLY DAYS
Jim had been installing computers in vehicles since 2002; however, the Windows-based program on a touch screen did not function optimally. When Steve Jobs announced the release of iPad, Jim had an idea for an iPad holder that could be attached to the dash of a car – and he wanted to make it happen. He sought out Andy Oberbillig, a successful business owner and friend, who was excited by Jim’s concept. After obtaining a loan, Jim purchased an iPad to begin crafting prototypes. Andy sent one model off with Padholder printed on the side, proclaiming “check out your new company’s name!” Eager and energized by his friend’s enthusiasm, Jim swiftly obtained the domain – thus Padholder was born.
SOMETHING GREAT
Jim and Andy got to work making their Padholder standout from the crowd. “We need to make sure it works with cases,” Jim said when their first prototypes were ready to try out. He asked, “How are we going to make sure it looks great, easy to attach and detach, but still gives access to wireless controls?” Andy was confident. “Done!” Their design had interchangeable spacer attachments for different sized cases – or even no case at all. They made sure the curves of the holder could fit a good amount of space for connecting wirelessly too. Now that they had an eye-catching design, time to think about mounting options
THE PROCESS
One day, Jim and his mates are sitting around chatting when they start throwing out ideas of how to attach a holder without leaving scratches on the dashboard. Velcro and suction cups were cool but weren’t up to scratch. After a phone call to an old business contact, Jim strikes gold. Not only can Padholder Products mount the iPad holder on 600 cars, but Jim also managed to get his hands on an adjustable aluminum arm, meaning their holders can fit into 900 cars. When it was all done, the crew celebrated with beers while watching as Jim installed one in his own car – yeah mate! We’re in business!
THE CONNECTIONS
Joining forces with a major Amazon distributor as Padholder Products’ first big customer, Jim had some lofty goals in mind. Lucky for him, he achieved them! With the help of Amazon and a well-designed website, Padholder has grown tremendously. And the best part? Getting new products up and running couldn’t be easier – taking only a few hours! Thanks to Jim’s early vision and determination, Padholder is headed for even greater successes.
THE GROWTH
Padholder.com began as a small Seattle-based site with just 900 vehicles-specific iPad dash kits and other accessories. But today, thanks to the dedicated work of Jim and the Follow Works team from Kitsap County, Padholder.com has blossomed into an incredible 10,000 item retail marketplace. Through custom development, design and back-end optimization, Padholdr now shows up on search engines web across the globe – even despite its dubious images on launch day! What an amazing journey it’s been over just the past two years!
THE LOOK AHEAD
It all started with Jim’s creative vision, which blossomed into the incredible products that Padholder Products’ Vehicle Specific Mounts has become, inspiring him to strive for even more. After trying and failing to find a comfortable way of propping up his iPad while in bed, he consulted with his friend Andy on ideas and worked together to create tablet stands and mounts. With so much success at the 2012 CES Show, Padholder became associated with numerous Fortune 500 companies, producing holders for many different uses. Jim Benham expressed his optimism about these new developments: “Padholder has some amazing Commercial Products coming soon!”
