Times are tough for many Utah companies but Clearfield-based Lifetime Products Inc. is shoring up manufacturing capacity and bolstering its lineup of consumer products in anticipation of better days ahead.
Lifetime, a manufacturer of folding tables and chairs, outdoor basketball standards, storage sheds and utility trailers, has acquired the assets of Salt Lake City-based Jumping Jack Trailers from owner Robert Badger.
Jumping Jack's primary product is a trailer/tent combination that can be used to transport items such as ATVs and motorcycles to a campsite. Once the heavy equipment is removed, the trailer converts into a canvas tent that sleeps up to six adults.
"It is always fun to have something new around for everyone to work on and get excited about," said Richard Hendrickson, president of Lifetime. "This really extends our brand into a whole different distribution channel."
All of Jumping Jack's manufacturing equipment and inventory will be moved to Lifetime's 2.6 million-square-foot plant in the Freeport Center just off I-15 in Clearfield. Lifetime also has absorbed Jumping Jack's five employees, including Badger, who joined the company as the manager of the new-product category.
"We're hoping to have everything moved here by the first week in January," said Phil Mickey, Lifetime's spokesman.
Lifetime employs about 1,200 Utahns. Founded in 1986 by Barry Mower, its initial product was a well-known outdoor basketball standard with a heavy black base that is found in many residential neighborhoods nationwide.
Badger approached Lifetime executives a year ago asking if they would be interested in becoming the manufacturer of Jumping Jack's trailer/tent product, Hendrickson said. "We never did make it for them, but that did open a dialogue that led to our acquisition."
Jumping Jack's trailer/tent has wide dealer distribution in North America and can be found in many outdoor and adventure stores, such as Sportsman's Warehouse. It retails for $5,000.
Jumping Jack "was a small company with a great product," Hendrickson said. "But being small they lacked a lot of the resources they could have used to fully tap the product's potential."
Earlier this month, Utah Manufacturers Association President Tom Bingham indicated that many manufacturers in the state were beginning to struggle, with others holding their own.
Some companies, such as those that were heavily involved in the home building and construction industry, began feeling the impact of the recession early on, Bingham said. But "we're fortunate that some of our bigger companies - --- those operating in industries such as aerospace and medical-products manufacturing -- seem to be fairly recession-proof. As long as NASA keeps spending money and people [need treatment for illnesses], they should be fine."
Hendrickson said Lifetime began seeing demand weaken for its products beginning in October. "We're fortunate in that we are in real good shape financially. And this trailer/tent combination is a product we believe has a lot of unrealized potential that can help us grow."
