Bow scope wins Franklin Business Plan Contest
12/19/2006


A new scope for archery enthusiasts was the winner of the $25,000 Ben Franklin Business Plan Contest. brian mahaney of St. Marys and Al Uveges of Sigel from I-Sight Technologies plan to have the product on the market by Fall 2007.


Ben Franklin Business Plan Contest 2006. From left: Clarion University President Joseph Grunenwald, Lucy Adonizio, Clarion University Small Business Development Center, Brian Mahaney, Al Uveges, and Dr. Woodrow Yeaney, director of Clarion University’s Small Business Development Center.



The Ben Franklin Transformation Program and Clarion University’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) sponsor the annual contest. The prize was presented and the product exhibited during a ceremony in the Carrier Hall meeting room at Clarion University of Pennsylvania.

Jill Edwards of the Ben Franklin Investment Foundation awarded the prize. Attending the ceremony were: Clarion University President Joseph Grunenwald, Dr. Woodrow Yeaney, director of Clarion University's Small Business Development Center, Joe Fadden, senior field representative to Congessman John Peterson (R-5), and Mark Adams, field representative to Senator Joe Scarnatti (R-25).

“This project is seven years in development and was field tested for the past two years,” said mahaney. “We have leased space in St. Marys and will be manufacturing the scope locally.

The manufacturing will include two products: the I-Sight Solution, the attachable bow scope, expected to be available in February 2007; and the I-Sight Illusion, an archery specific red dot, lightweight, adjustable sight, before the 2007 hunting season.

They plan to have the I-Sight Solution ready for sale at the Pennsylvania Outdoors Show in Feburary. “The solution is for older crowd who have trouble seeing their pins or through a peep sight and also for the ground blind hunter who want to adjust the intensity of the red dot,” said mahaney. “The I-Sight Illusion target audience is the younger crowd, who want an edge and want technology.”

Uveges explained the evolution of archery equipment from the 1960s to today, from stick bows, to compound bows, to the high-end bows of the 1990s. He described the problem that led to the invention of I-Sight Solution.

“As I got older I couldn’t see the sight pins on my bow any longer,” he explained. “A friend at an archery shop told me about a red dot scope, but there was no mount for it. I took a piece of angle iron to fit it for the bow.”

Uveges’ daughter, Michelle, met and married brian mahaney. mahaney, a machinist, became involved in finding a solution to the scope problem.

“brian developed a new mount,” said Uveges. “It is very sturdy with few moving parts. I have been very successful with it.”

mahaney takes up the story explaining, “My design puts the scope back closer to the eye. It is more balanced. I wanted to keep it simple, but solve all of the problems with one mount. The mount is made up of five manufactured pieces put together. The red dot size is adjustable. It is placing gun technology on an archery bow.”

I-Sight Technologies estimates that there are six to seven million archery hunters or archery target enthusiasts in the United States. An estimated one to one and one-half percent of them are located in Pennsylvania and Ohio. The initial push will be to reach those archers with eventual nationwide expansion via Internet sales.

In addition to working with Lucy Adonizio of the Clarion University SBDC, I-Sight Technologies is also working with Bucknell University SBDC on product development.

I-Sight Technologies can be reached at 814-335-3108 or online at I-sighttechnologies.com.

Each year entrepreneurs with new ideas are invited to apply for The Ben Franklin $25,000 Business Plan Contest. Eligibility requirements included having less than 50 employees, being in operation for six months or less, and operating in one of the counties served by the Clarion University SBDC - Armstrong, Clarion, Cameron, Clearfield, Elk, Forest, Jefferson, McKean, Potter, and Venango.

The contest was designed to support manufacturing and technology-based companies. Businesses applying had to provide a cover letter explaining, in general, the type of business proposed, the future goals, and information about the business; a one-page application overview sheet; a three-page business plan summary; any supporting materials including letters from potential customers and evidence from the literature on trends and marketability of the business.

Applications were considered on the basis of degree of innovation and chances for commercial success. The potential to create jobs in Pennsylvania was also weighed. The finalists for the award were required to submit a 10-page business plan and present it to a panel.

The Ben Franklin Technology Partners organization, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, is designed to stimulate business growth and economic development in the Commonwealth. Ben Franklin seeks to develop manufacturing and technology-based companies that are interested in developing new products or processes. The centers provide low risk capital to early seed ventures, start-up companies, and established companies that meet certain technical, market, and management requirements. The overall objectives of this effort are high technology job creation and retention, and statewide growth.

The Clarion University Small Business Development Center is partially funded under Cooperative Agreement No. 5-603001-20040-25 by the U.S. Small Business Administration. The support given by the U.S. Small Business Administration through such funding does not constitute an express or implied endorsement of any of the co-sponsor(s)’ or participants’ opinions, findings, conclusion, recommendations, products, or services.

All programs and services are provided on a non-discriminatory basis. Clarion University's SBDC provides free and confidential management assistance and counseling to both start-up and existing businesses. Counseling appointments at several convenient locations in northwestern Pennsylvania may be made by calling 814-393-2060 weekdays from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.


Clarion University Of Pennsylvania
Clarion, PA 16214
800-672-7171 or 814-393-2000
info@clarion.edu