WESTFIELD – Shoveling snow is back-breaking work but Westfield resident Ralph Thresher is making the winter task a lot less painful.
Thresher is the inventor of the Ergieshovel, an ergonomic shovel designed to alleviate the bending associated with shoveling that results in back pain.
Thresher first thought of the idea several years ago.
“I was leaving church with my wife and baby and saw an elderly woman shoveling and obviously in pain,” said Thresher.
An industrial engineer, Thresher’s brain began turning and he quickly had a vision for what would become the Ergieshovel.
Thresher spent time tweaking his invention and researched the average size of Americans to get the shovel just right for most people. Once he was satisfied, the first shovel was made.
“My brother is also an engineer and happens to weld and we came up with a prototype,” Thresher said.
Thresher originally took his design to a manufacturer in Worcester but he has since moved production right here to Columbia Manufacturing in Westfield.
Now patent-pending, the Ergieshovel is trademarked and sold across western Massachusetts at all O’Connell’s Convenience locations, Rocky’s Ace Hardware in Westfield, Agawam, East Longmeadow, Canton and North Andover, Westfield Feed, and Expert Fitness.
Thresher said 1,400 Ergieshovels were produced and he is speaking to investors to bring his pain-saving invention to the masses.
“I’d love to go national,” he said.
Thresher hopes to keep production local when the business grows, adding that he and his wife are committed to keeping it an American made product.
The Ergieshovel has a straight shaft with another shaft welded to it. The front handle was designed to be at an angle that is comfortable for the user. The front handle is positioned to easily maintain control from the rolling motion an off-balanced load of snow would impose on the blade. The long “bent shaft” shovels are at a disadvantage here. The “ergonomic” shovels with less bend in the shovel shafts require you, the user, to bend over to lift. This shovel does not.
Thresher said he is “changing the way America shovels” and has received numerous testimonials from customers who now swear by the Ergie.
More information is available at Ergieshovel Facebook page.
