When a local IT Director could not find a charging station that met his requirements, he got creative. He went to Nathan Roberts, 5th generation owner of Roberts Manufacturing. He provided Roberts with a list of items that he wanted in a charging station. Together they worked out a design for this unit. It included flat shelves, a vertical, space-saving design, a means to manage the cables, and the ability to mount to a wall.
This new charging station was made of aluminum and then powder coated, making it light and to last indefinitely. It was made in Columbus, Wisconsin by the same people that were employed by Roberts in his contract manufacturing and propane truck fabrication businesses. It was made by hard-working people skilled in the industry of metal fabrication.
Roberts took that first PowerGistics Tower to a tradeshow, and was overwhelmed with the positive and enthusiastic response. This was a next generation charging station, with unique features strikingly different than it’s counterparts on the market.
Early versions of the PowerGistics Towers were named just that – the Tower Series. They were available in two different shelf size, the regular size and the Plus size. See the Tower20 and Tower20 Plus shown here.
One version of the Towers was made to fit devices sitting the wide way on the shelves. This was due to the side of the device the charging port was on.
An early version of a desktop unit was made to hold six devices. This red and white version was the predecessor for the current Desktop6 Plus.
Early on, PowerGistics caught the attention of Google. Yes, that Google. The company had a Grab and Go program for employees using devices. They appreciated the flat shelves and vertical design of PowerGistics Towers and soon started putting the Towers in all of their offices. Interestingly, they choose all blue shelves for their charging Towers.
Once the Grab and Go Towers caught on, PowerGistics introduced its business line of Towers in all gray and white. These were called the X Series and came in the same 8, 12, 16 or 20 shelf options.
With the rise of cell phones being used for patient care in the medical industry, a need arose to charge those devices to ensure efficiency for nurses, doctors and other staff. PowerGistics was sought out specifically to design a product for cell phones for this industry. The new CellTower10 charges 10 phones, power banks or small devices at once and is small enough to fit at a nurses station.
Other products that fit a need included the TechStation10 and the TechHub6. Each of these were developed for specific device sizes and had unique features such as a handle for carrying and side power strip.
The Tower series of vertical charging stations for schools evolved into the Core Series. This series offers one shelf size, but includes a TechStop that keeps devices at the front of the shelves no matter the device size. In this series the lock was also re-designed for more security.
The recent Flex20 was developed based on feedback from customers. They expressed an interest in a 20-shelf unit that could be mobile, and for the power strip location to be on the side. PowerGistics responded with the Flex20 unit which provides school staff the opportunity to wall mount the unit and access the power strip without removing it from the wall. This charging station also offers 20 shelves on a Roller.
The latest products developed were in response to classroom needs for device charging. The TableTower8 and the Time Machine are desktop units that solve different needs based on charging models in the classroom. Whether devices are going home or being stored in the classroom, PowerGistics has listened to teachers and tech staff to provide a solution.
PowerGistics is part of the G.D. Roberts & Co. family. We are a solver of problems, with the goal of creating solutions to complex issues. Throughout our history, we have developed products as responses to needs, to make lives easier. As a local Wisconsin manufacturer, we have an opportunity and calling to continue to improve our products for the benefit of their users. You see this over and over again throughout our history.
To learn more about the G.D. Roberts family of companies, click here.
