Competitors

Because of the range of tasks it performs, Eli Tables will compete against two basic

categories of alternative products (saw horses and dedicated tool stands); with widely varying prices and capabilities.

At one end of the price spectrum are folding saw horses and saw horse brackets.

This segment is dominated by Fulton and Trojan. This segment also includes folding plastic sawhorses from Stanley and other manufacturers.

The other end of the price spectrum in this category is dominated by the Stanley/Black &

Decker WorkMate® and devices of the same design by Stanley, Wilmar

and the German firm Wolfcraft.

A recent entry in this category is the Jawhorse® from Rockwell. The most recent entry is the Centipede Portable Work System (now marketed by Bora/Portamate in 4x4 and 4x8 formats.) It is an iso-kinetic lattice (similar to a Hoberman Sphere) that instantly deploys into a grid of support points over its footprint. Keter Plastics (an Israeli firm) has recently come to market with an ingenious folding table. Like the Centipede, its major selling point is how rapidly it can be deployed. Other, similar, folding work tables are also available from DeWalt and Benchmark. This latter, is most similar in concept to the Eli-Table.

The tool-stand segment of the competition is dominated by much smaller

enterprises, Most notably Rousseau, Bora/ Portamate and

Lee Unlimited.

Fulton and Trojan, primarily sawhorse manufacturers, also have entries in this

segment.

At the other end of the price spectrum are devices like  Eureakazone’s EZ-ONE® Woodworking Center. It is not tool stand per se, but a saw “table” which promise the functionality of a table saw in a more portable package. The Triton Ltd TWX7 goes even further. With interchangable table-saw, cut-off saw, router table and basic assembly top modules.

Competitor’s Strengths

The competition is formidable. Many are nationally known brands. The rest are well

respected names in the trade(s) they serve.

The competing products they provide are familiar and have commonly known uses.

Competitor’s Weakness

The price/performance characteristics of their products vs. Eli Tables. Moreover, all of them are single objects; whereas the Eli-Table s a modular, infinitely expandable and reconfigurable system.

It also bears noting that entrants into this niche come and go continually. By the time you read this some of these products may no longer be available.; and new ones may have arrived. This strongly indicates that the ideal solution has yet to come to market.