Product Development at Tangent: An Interview with Marc Hollahan
Product development is an important aspect of any business because it allows companies to continually grow and improve and also brings new value to the customer. At Tangent, innovation is the fuel that drives us forward. Our experienced team and engineering expertise enables new product development, enhancements to our existing products and new applications and uses.
To get a better understanding of how Tangent values and implements product development, we sat down with our Product Marketing Manager, Marc Hollahan, to get the full scoop:
Q: What is your role at Tangent?
A: I am the Product Marketing Manager. My role at Tangent is to help develop new product offerings for Tangent and new applications for our customers.
Q: Why is Product Development Important for Tangent?
A: Focusing on product development keeps us on the leading edge of plastic lumber technology. It allows us to stay highly competitive in the plastic lumber industry by improving our existing profiles and products and offering new designs for our customers.
Q: How Does Tangent Approach Product Development?
A: We have two main goals in our approach to product development: the first is to determine if our place in the market is viable and provides an advantage over existing solutions. The second is to determine the benefit to the customer in terms of return on investment.
One way that we achieve these goals is by testing our products in new, unique or unconventional applications. Product testing enables us to give accurate results and information to our customers and to better understand how our products fit into new and existing commercial markets.
Our solutions must be a better alternative to what is already in the market. We value and promote environmentally-friendly building practices and products. However, our approach to product development always has the end-user in mind. Whether it’s a customer request or testing new applications and markets, innovation and a deep understanding of our products are at the root of our approach.
Q: What Lessons Have You Learned?
A: Many lessons are learned every day at Tangent. One of the most important is that communication is key. This includes consistent communication with our customers throughout the entire life-cycle of the project, but also internally. With so many departments working to find better solutions, it’s crucial that we all work together to accomplish our goals.
We have also learned over the years that understanding customer needs, wants and wishes need to be clear at the beginning of the project to ensure that we are meeting expectations, requirements and providing a great experience from start to finish and beyond.
Q: How Does Product Development Help Customer’s Overcome Challenges?
A: We are able to create customized structural solutions that meet all of the customer’s requirements and can truly solve each aspect of the problem from the ground up. Boardwalks are a great example of this. Using a combination of our product lines, we are able to utilize our structural lumber for multiple applications within a single project to be a total solution provider: from substructure to deck boards to handrails, our products work together to provide an eco-friendly and durable solution.
Q: What Does the Future Hold for Tangent and Innovative Products?
A: It’s a pretty exciting time for Tangent. We have recently added many new engineers, and with their past experience and knowledge, we are raising the bar on the products and services we provide.
We are also constantly finding new avenues to a wider variety of markets for structural plastic lumber: new applications, uses and product characteristic enhancements allow us to continue to be the leading manufacturer of structural recycled plastic lumber.
We Can Help You Develop Your Next Project!
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