One Bright Idea Leads to Even Brighter Opportunities
Beacon Group and Pulse® Protects began their mutually beneficial business partnership in 2007. At the time, Pulse® was a budding start-up with one very bright idea. They had patented a safety device for a vehicle’s third brake light that creates a rapid pulse four times in 1.2 seconds when the brake pedal is depressed. A fleet study conducted by Pulse® has shown this safety feature leads to an over 30% decline in rear-end vehicle accidents.
Beacon was hired to provide turnkey service in multiple aspects of their business and scale with Pulse® as demand for their product increased. Dave Johnson, Vice President of Operations at Beacon Group, describes what Beacon does for Pulse®:
“After receiving products from their manufacturing facilities, we inspect and inventory the various pieces. We rigorously test the electronic products on a custom designed testing machine to ensure quality. Finally, we package the Pulse® product in preparation for shipping to their supply house.”
As shown with Pulse® Protects, Beacon Group’s business model allows it to scale with business partners’ demands. Regardless of how much product is received from manufacturers, Beacon Group has the capability to deliver on goals with reliability and effectiveness. Beacon Group’s production workforce of people with disabilities are often cross-trained on a variety of tasks, and they can be quickly reassigned based on customer need.
Cassandra Yazzen, a person with disabilities served by Beacon Group, works in Pulse® Protects production
nearly every day. It is Cassandra’s job to test the brake lights on one of two large proprietary testing machines.
“You start clamping them on all of the machines and then you plug them in. They are color coordinated, so you plug them in there and it takes about 90 seconds,” says Cassandra.
Once she finishes testing the Pulse® product, she initiates the packaging process.
“You put them into the bags, and you get the books. There’s the wires, the books, the stickers, and the zip ties and then you’ve got a few extra of the ends right here and then the barcodes on top,” Cassandra concludes.
Cassandra has faced many employment challenges, intensified by her poor vision, her need for public transportation and the ongoing pandemic. She is happy to be “back on her feet” and working part-time with hopes for full-time employment. Earning minimum wage while working on higher skill production tasks supports Cassandra’s job growth and long-term employability.
Brad Dorsey, President of Pulse® Protects, lauds people with disabilities such as Cassandra who serve an important role in the Pulse® business.
“If there is a product issue from the manufacturer, it’s critical that Beacon finds it,” he states.
Not only does Beacon Group’s production team provide superior and cost-effective services for Pulse® Protects, the team has also contributed to a higher quality end product. Dorsey recalls a few years prior when Beacon workers caught an irregular number of defects in their product that led to quality control changes at the manufacturer.
“It had us re-examine the factories and helped in my decision-making process to actually switch factories,” says Dorsey in retrospect. “You know that was a great catch by the employees, and it was significant for our business.”
Consequently, there are much fewer product defects even as Beacon Group continues with the same rigorous testing protocols.
Pulse® Protects also sees the social impact benefit of building a partnership with an organization like Beacon
Group that creates opportunities for people with disabilities.
“I think it’s really important to help the less fortunate in society — to be able to give them a sense of purpose and accomplishment,” says Dorsey. “There’s always a sense of goodwill coming from that, and it reflects well on our company.”
Pulse® Protects has utilized Beacon Group’s services for 14 years as their business has progressed. In recent years, they have made significant donations and become a sponsor of Beacon Group’s annual Holiday Festivity.
Now with hundreds of installation partners located across 43 states, Pulse® Protects has grown considerably since 2007. Beacon’s production support has played a critical role in this growth, and Dorsey finds comfort in the fact that he can focus on growing the business knowing that Beacon can meet their needs, regardless of pace.
“Beacon has done a great job,” says Dorsey. “Whenever we’ve needed them to step up and do something, they’ve always been there for us and done the job.”
Pulse® Protects and Beacon Group, working together, have created safer roads and greater opportunity for
people with disabilities — a thriving partnership that is sure to last for years to come.
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