Meet The Disruptors: Steve Strombeck of SafeHandles On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
NEVER. GIVE. UP.! We worked tirelessly to create a coated product that was highly effective …only to learn that coatings are not durable enough to endure the abuse peoples’ hands can have on handles. So, our first version needed work. Back to the drawing board… we changed the design and worked long and hard to create an embedded, not coated, antimicrobial product that was highly effective and affordable. It was a challenging problem to solve.
As a part of our series about business leaders who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Steve Strombeck, Founder & CEO of SafeHandles™.
A successful businessman in the real estate industry and now in manufacturing, Steve Strombeck, Founder and CEO of SafeHandles™, developed the world’s first self-cleaning door handle cover. His entrepreneurial spirit led him to put together a team of extraordinary engineers and reinvented what clean means with cutting edge products. He continues to introduce breakthroughs in technology as his company manufactures the latest advances in cleanliness.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
My original career path was always in real estate, but about 10 years ago, I stopped to use a public restroom and saw the man before me leave without washing his hands. I also noticed that there were no paper products in the restroom. I refused to touch the dirty door handle and waited until someone came in, squeezing out through the door without touching the knob, which I’m sure everyone has experienced at some point in their life. This experience made me realize that I needed to come up with a better solution for this — SafeHandles™.
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
We are disrupting the world of “clean” with our self-cleaning products, each embedded with this revolutionary, chemical free, EPA approved technology that cleans itself. Our technology has created self-cleaning facilities such as schools, offices, stores, hotels, and so many more all over the world. We developed the world’s first self-cleaning door handle cover, and now, we have self-cleaning elevator button covers, self-cleaning shopping cart handle covers, push plate covers, and a self-cleaning pen. Each SafeHandles™ product keeps common everyday touch-points from toilet levers to ADA push plates germ free.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
From the very beginning we knew we had a great idea but there were things we didn’t know. Our heat shrink sleeves need to be applied with steam, so we borrowed my wife’s hairdryer to steam the sleeves on door knobs. That didn’t go so well. We tried every kind of heat application we could, ruining some doors and product along the way, not to mention fogging up rooms with steam! Eventually we got it right by creating a custom steamer which is patented and designed to give the ultimate installation for our products.
Lesson learned: You never know what is around the corner. When something doesn’t work, it just puts you closer to something that will.
Patience, confidence and a sense of humor are all important characteristics to have in business.
We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
It all comes down to putting together the right team to bring an idea to fruition. SafeHandles™ did not happen overnight; it took years to develop the concept, make the necessary investments, and assemble a team of engineers and researchers to create the products. For example, we take pride in knowing our products are EPA approved and have been put to the test in research labs. Our product manager, John Bergenske, has also been an amazing asset in leading the charge of developing these products. Over time, we have harnessed the power of antimicrobial technology products together with the right team.
In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?
Disrupting an industry will almost always be positive if it’s providing a solution to a problem. In the early years of SafeHandles, we were grateful to just be making a difference in the lives of people’s health. For example, we helped a Superintendent of a school district in California decrease sick days and increase productivity and grades for the students when they had a Norovirus outbreak. There wasn’t a global pandemic at that time, but it felt great to make a difference in that school. Now, with COVID-19, our company has “disrupted” the cleaning industry, and it’s certainly in a positive way. It solves a problem that everyone needs — to slow the spread of germs.
Can you share 3 of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.
1) NEVER. GIVE. UP.! We worked tirelessly to create a coated product that was highly effective …only to learn that coatings are not durable enough to endure the abuse peoples’ hands can have on handles. So, our first version needed work. Back to the drawing board… we changed the design and worked long and hard to create an embedded, not coated, antimicrobial product that was highly effective and affordable. It was a challenging problem to solve. Then, there is simply the concept of SafeHandles, a self-cleaning film. I can share a lot of stories, but getting SafeHandles to where it is today has tested my resolve and patience in ways I would have never imagined. I’m glad I never gave up.
2) Surround yourself with good people. Having the right team is crucial. The saying “it takes a village” is true. The success of SafeHandles is due in part to a talented team of engineers, and a loyal, passionate, dedicated crew that work hard and believe in the product. I can’t be everywhere and do everything. It is important to have a trustworthy team who will get the job done well.
3) Don’t pay attention to what others say. When I first started, there were a lot of doubters. I was attempting to do something that had not yet been done. It didn’t discourage me. I saw a need and I was determined to make it happen. Now, our products are sold throughout the world.
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?
Currently, we are in six countries and growing. We have no plans of slowing down and are already in talks with more global expansions. We are about to exceed our mark of 2 million installments, which only means one thing — a cleaner future for all. I plan to shake things up with our ever-expanding line of self-cleaning products, so expect to see more launch in the future.
Do you have a book, podcast, or talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us? Can you explain why it was so resonant with you?
I am a man of faith, so I would say the Bible has been a book of guidance, support and resolve for me.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Winners are not people who never fail, but people who never quit”
Like most people, I have had my share of challenges in life and times it would have been easy to quit. I never did. I don’t quit. Not personally and not professionally. That’s the key to my success. When you see SafeHandles, you see a successful global company. What you don’t see is what it took to get there. The sacrifice, hard work, and challenges that go into any business. Stay the course. The best is yet to come.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
If I could inspire a movement, it would be for large corporate citizens and government entities to know and trust the new technologies that help keep the public safe from the unseen dangers — germs! Imagine a world where this technology is installed everywhere you go — on forms of public transit, airlines, cruise lines, parks, schools, courthouses — literally anywhere that recruits large volumes of people at one time. SafeHandles was invented to provide a cleaner solution for all and a better future where we’re not squeezing through bathroom doors to not touch anything.
How can our readers follow you online?
They can follow me at @safehandles on our social media platforms — Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. You can also learn more on our website, www.SafeHandles.com.
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
Meet The Disruptors: Steve Strombeck of SafeHandles On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
