Fill in the blanks of
your product
development
process.
Where research, design and engineering intersect, Section22 exists to help consumer product vendors and manufacturers develop the right solutions for their retail partners.
Specializing in a wide range of hard goods categories and private label product development, Section22 can offer the expertise you need to create product solutions that are brand-right, priced-right and, most importantly, meet the needs of your consumer.
What are your
product development
needs?
Wherever you are in your product development journey, Section22 can help. With expertise in consumer research, product design and engineering, we have the experience to fill in the missing pieces of your project.
Stuck in that fuzzy front end of product development? Not sure about how your product stacks up to the competition? Wishing you had an extra set of hands to take this thing across the finish line? Wondering why you had that burrito for lunch? Section22 can help you with all of these questions – even the burrito one (choose the burrito bowl next time).
RESEARCH
Consumer Insights
User Testing
Competitive Landscape
Whitespace Analysis
DESIGN
Concept Generation
3D Rendering
Material Selection
Design-to-Value
ENGINEERING
Reverse Engineering
Design For Manufacturing
Product Specifications
Critical-to-Quality Assessment
Meet Tom Kuehn:
FARM FRESH
ProducT
Developer.
Tom Kuehn
I grew up on a farm located in the NE corner of Section 22 in Echo Township, Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota. It’s still in the family - in fact, in 2018 it was granted century status after having been in the same family for 100 years.
After high school I couldn’t wait to get to college and experience life. I received a B.S. in Applied Physics from Bethel University and then went on to get an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Minnesota. I spent a couple years in a traditional engineering role before realizing I didn't actually want to be an “engineer”. What I really wanted to do was make everyday things used everyday by people everywhere.
Section 22, Echo Township
As a Product Engineer for Target I was able to do just that. After helping launch the Up&Up brand in stationery I then worked with designer Todd Oldham to develop his line of kids’ arts and crafts - Kid Made Modern. From there I got into Housewares, developing a wide range of products - everything from shoe racks and storage bins to cubby systems and total closet solutions. Along the way I patented 25 products, traveled to manufacturers across the world and helped build brands worth billions of dollars.
Then, something I didn’t expect happened. The farm that I had been so eager to escape as a teenager started calling me back. So my wife and two girls packed up and moved out of the big city and made our home in Redwood Falls, MN, just 15 minutes from the farm.
Located less than 2 hours west of Minneapolis, I can be available at a moment’s notice to work with you and your brand to figure out how to take your product from idea to concept to reality. Contact me to learn more or, if you’re in the mood for some homemade apple pie and coffee, feel free to stop by and visit! (Just be sure to call ahead, because, you know, a pie takes some time…)
You may remember
my work from
such brands as…
I’ve developed hundreds of products for some of Target’s biggest brands, working with vendors and manufacturers from all over the world to bring brand-right and affordable products to life. Below is a sampling of some of the projects I led during my time at Target.
