Innovation Accelerated: Southland Development Authority Paves the Way for Production of Cutting-Edge Electric Vehicle Charging Accessory in the South Suburbs
Innovation requires fast thinking, the right partners, and the right opportunity. Thanks to the powerful capabilities and network of the Southland Development Authority (SDA) Metals HUB—supported in part by funding from the Cook County Bureau of Economic Development—all three of those conditions aligned last fall to deliver electric vehicle (EV) innovation to the marketplace.
As a result, the EV Hover, an adjustable, 180-degree swivel arm that elevates and protects an electric vehicle’s unwieldy cable while charging, is now produced by Versatility Tool Works and Manufacturing, which is located in Alsip. In just three months, the SDA Metals HUB helped battle through a maze of obstacles to enable Versatility to begin shipping EV Hover products by November 2023, after just two months of collaboration.
The EV Hover, an EV cable management system, at work
This story is just one example of how the SDA Metals HUB supports, advances, and expands the rich landscape of MM&E (metals, machinery, and equipment) businesses located in Chicago’s south suburbs. The SDA Metals HUB is a growing consortium of over 100 small and midsize metals manufacturer firms all located within an approximately eight-mile radius in the Southland. These firms possess diverse, specialized experience in metal machining, fabrication, finishing, casting, forging, tool and die, and assembly. On average, SDA Metals HUB member manufacturers have 48 years of experience in their field.
A Race Against Time
In mid-September 2023, Mike Mayer, CEO of EV Hover, reached out to the SDA’s Metals HUB searching for a reliable manufacturing partner to produce a product that would solve a problem commonly experienced by owners of electric vehicles—heavy charging cables that are hard to manage, get dirty, can be damaged on garage floors, and present a major trip hazard. Mayer’s company had developed an innovative EV charging cable management solution. Mayer was acutely aware that in the rapidly evolving EV industry, he needed to get his product shipping in time for the 2023 holiday shopping season. Mayer’s goal was to start shipping the product in early December—less than three months away. Mayer met with Harry Holtz, director of the Metals HUB at SDA, and the pair went to work.
Leveraging the Power of the SDA Metals HUB
Holtz realized from the initial design review that this project required a metal fabricator that could also provide engineering and assembly support, and could move quickly. With the clock ticking on the early December shipment goal, Holtz sprang into action to leverage the SDA Metals HUB consortium of over 100 Southland metals manufacturers. He needed to identify a Metals HUB manufacturing partner that had both the expertise and the capacity to support the EV Hover requirements—and fast.
Left to right: Mike Mayer, CEO of EV Hover; Ed Freimuth, principal owner of Versatility Tool Works and Manufacturing; and Harry Holtz, director of the Southland Development Authority’s Metals HUB, with the EV Hover above them
Holtz started securing quotes from Metals HUB members for this project when Metals HUB member Versatility Tool Works and Manufacturing, a metals fabricator located in Alsip that has operated in the south suburbs for over 50 years, expressed an interest in the EV Hover project.
The EV Hover product
Versatility is an exemplary example of the experienced Southland firms that are members of the SDA Metals HUB. Since its founding in 1972, Versatility has employed a highly trained team of engineers, craftsmen, and production personnel, each possessing an average of 25-plus years’ experience. Ed and Steve Freimuth, the principal owners, grew up in the metal machine shop alongside their father, an expert tool and die maker. Since then, they have grown the business from a tool and die operation to a leader in precision sheet metal products with one of the most extensive product lines in the country.
With a manufacturing partner secured, the SDA Metals HUB took the lead in moving the project forward. In short order, a factory tour was organized, product development meetings scheduled, milestones set, prototypes manufactured, raw materials and components ordered, and assembly instructions established. Versatility then trained its team of skilled employees on the specific requirements of the EV Hover, and production began.
During this process, Holtz remained in constant communication with teams from both EV Hover and Versatility Tool Works, facilitating the extremely fast pace of the project and providing the oversight and project management necessary to achieve the accelerated timeline.
“Harry facilitated engineering reviews between EV Hover and Versatility and provided valuable insight,” Ed Freimuth noted, adding that Holtz’s process was detailed and thorough. “He took the time to understand our unique capabilities and recognized that Versatility’s blend of experience, engineering expertise, and manufacturing competencies were the perfect fit for what EV Hover needed.”
Donovan Morrison, COO of EV Hover, agrees that Versatility was an integral player in the process: “From helping with the design and engineering of EV Hover to timely and high-quality production, Versatility has displayed the utmost professionalism every step of the way,” Morrison said.
By the end of November 2023, Versatility’s first shipment of EV Hover products was completed—even earlier than the initial target of early December 2023. Reflecting on their success, Freimuth spoke highly of Holtz and the SDA Metals HUB: “The successful partnership between EV Hover and Versatility is the direct result of Harry’s involvement,” Freimuth said. “Harry and the Metals HUB are a great asset to the manufacturing community of southern Cook County.”
Bringing Business to the Southland’s Expert Metals Manufacturers
Facilitated by the SDA Metals HUB, Versatility’s successful launch of the EV Hover product line is a perfect example of how the SDA acts as a catalyst and connector for Southland manufacturers. By marshaling all available resources, the SDA Metals HUB was able to broker a mutually beneficial partnership between a company with a cutting-edge product design and a skilled, experienced manufacturer—and then facilitate a fast-paced process that allowed the Southland to be the birthplace and production base of an innovative new EV product.
Backed by the vision, leadership, and funding support of Cook County, the SDA Metals HUB is well-positioned to ensure that Southland’s metals manufacturers stay on the competitive edge of emerging markets like clean energy and electric vehicles.
About Southland Development Authority
The Southland Development Authority (SDA) is a nonprofit business organization launched in 2019 by business, civic, and political leaders from around the Southland who recognize the potential of the region’s people, businesses, and real estate. Our mission is to bring the resources and capacity needed to achieve transformative, inclusive economic growth for the south suburbs with a focus on investments in the Southland’s communities, industry, housing, and workforce.
The southern suburbs of Chicago are rich with strong metals, machinery and equipment (MM&E) companies, large and small. The Metals HUB was established by SDA to foster the growth and advancement of manufacturers in the metals, machinery, and equipment (MM&E) industry with a focus on the south suburbs of Cook County, Ill. The Metals HUB is working to knit individual entities into a powerful collaborative—with the depth and scale to lead or support supply needs for any manufacturer, anywhere.