[kislideshow kirotate=”true”][kislideshowslide kiimageurl=”https://ncgrowth.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/boat1.jpg” ]Pete Flood, Owner of The Folding Boat Company.[/kislideshowslide][kislideshowslide kiimageurl=”https://ncgrowth.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/boat2.jpg” ]Focus Group Session organized by NCGrowth.[/kislideshowslide][/kislideshow]
The Folding Boat Company is a small business owned by Pete Flood of Harnett County. He invented the small kayak-like boat that is foldable and inflatable, which he has dubbed the K-PAK. He came up with the idea for the K-PAK to meet his own needs for a watercraft for fishing and duck hunting that he could carry with him when he hikes into remote locations. Currently, the K-PAK is sold online and at trade shows.
The goals of this project were to help Pete to better identify his market for the K-PAK and offer him feedback for marketing, customer education and potential accessories for the boat. NCGrowth recruited recreational and professional boat/kayak users for focus groups. From the findings of those focus groups a more detailed survey was constructed to validate and expand on the knowledge gained about the needs and interests of these two different potential customer groups.