From remodeler to new product developer

As temperatures go up, so do the windows in many homes.

While opening windows can be a good way to cool down a house, open windows have proven to be a potential source of injury and death for young children.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that falls from windows result in an average of eight deaths yearly to children 5 years or younger, and an estimated 3,300 children ages 5 and younger are treated each year in U.S. hospital emergency departments.

The Forever Safe N Sound uses suction cups to adhere to the window, making it a portable safety device.

“Being in my business, we install no fewer than 5,000 to 7,000 windows a year, and those statistics scared me,” said Mitch Kersch, president of Major Homes in Long Island, N.Y.

To combat the threat, Kersch and his son Aaron invented a security device, called Forever Safe N Sound, that stops children from opening the window from the inside and prevents intruders from opening the window from the outside.

This home safety issue took a personal turn for Kersch when his son and business partner, Jason Kersch, announced in 2011 that he was anticipating his first child.

“When I learned that I would be a grandfather, I realized that a better safety option was needed not just for my family, but for families all around the world,” Kersch said.

Forever Safe ‘N’ Sound works on double hung windows, sliding windows and sliding patio doors. It has a built-in alarm that sounds when a window has been opened.

Installing the device is easy; it attaches to a smooth, coating-free window using a high-powered suction cup, and it’s powered with two AAA batteries. A green blinking light indicates that the device is set.

“It attaches to a window without any glue, nails or screws—nothing that will damage the surface,” Kersch said. Another bonus: The unit is completely reusable and portable, so parents and caretakers can take the devices with them when they go on vacation or visit family and friends.

Kersch said he and his son Aaron Kersch, who was responsible for the engineering and product development, plan to market the product in a variety of ways. They are using video and social media to promote the Forever Safe ‘N’ Sound security device on the web and they plan to showcase it at the children’s product expos in the fall. In addition, the team pitched their invention to “Shark Tank”, a reality show on the ABC network that highlights aspiring entrepreneurs, on May 11, 2013.

Mitch Kersch said the “Shark Tank” producers liked the invention so much that he and Aaron are now on the last round of pitches, which will hopefully lead them to pitching the product live to the “Shark Tank” panel for a future air date.

“It’s just a great invention with so many uses, and it’s very inexpensive,” Kersch added.

He said he was most surprised at how quickly he was able to get a patent for the device. It took only five months, and he speculates it was because the invention would help save children’s lives.

Forever Safe ‘N’ Sound sells for $29.95.

“Our main reason for inventing the safety device was not to make money,” Kersch said. “Aaron and I created this product to save lives. If we save even one life, that is our free pass, right?” —Tanja Kern

For more information, contact Kersch at mkersch@foreversafensound.com or call (718) 229-5741.