Spring 2011
Issue No. 6

Tool Bag News
Featured Articles
Dedicated Tool Bags
The HVAC Project: Designing Tool Bags for The HVAC Market
Survey Feedback
Strange But True Tools
Greetings!

Welcome to the Spring 2011 edition of Tool Bag News, Veto Pro Pac's quarterly newsletter.

 

We are very excited to give you a sneak peek of one of our NEW BAGS, the Veto Pro Pac Laptop/Tech Bag, which was developed after many of you requested that we design a laptop bag that could stand up to the job site.  This new bag will complement the return of our LT-XL laptop/tool bag, which we will re-launch, this Fall with some design and functional changes. 

 

We hope you enjoy this edition of Tool Bag News - and make sure to check out our Man Food recipe if you are looking for something easy and great tasting to make this Summer!

 

We want to thank all of you for your tremendous support, and we look forward to any feedback you have. 

Best Wishes,

Your Friends at Veto

PS- This image at the top of the Newsletter is a new marketing campaign we are getting ready to test. Please tell us what you think!
  
  
  



DEDICATED TOOL BAGS 

 

by Roger Brouard, Founder of Veto Pro Pac 

 

The daily work routine of tradesmen can be improved and simplified by using dedicated tool bags

 

Some carpenters, in a pinch, might do a little electrical or plumbing. If and when they need to move a switch or an outlet, having a bag set up for electrical tools simplifies the routine..... grab the electrical bag that has all the electrical tools.... some electrical tape and wire connectors and you can get the job done with the right tools.   

 

A tradesman might need to tie in a small section of wall for a return to make up a pantry in a kitchen....when it is sheet rocked and it is time to tape, grab the bag that's set up with a few basic taping knifes, hawk, rolls of paper and fiber tape and once again you have the bag with the right tools to do the job...nothing worse than trying to spread joint compound with a paint scraper.

 

The list of dedicated bags goes on......a dedicated cordless bag with a couple different size cordless drills, chargers and spare batteries along with bit boxes....... a dedicated router bag with 2 and 3 horse power plunge routers and a small laminate router along with a box or two of router bits.  

 

The point is that to do a variety of jobs that require a variety of tools, it is important to have dedicated bags set up with specific tools that make the daily work routine that much easier and less frustrating. Think about what tools you have in your truck and how they might be grouped into specific categories and then put them into specific bags so when you are ready to do a specific task you grab the bag that has the tools you need to get the job done. No one wants to be digging around in the back of their truck looking for a 6" taping knife when you could just grab the taping tool bag and get the job done! 

 

Veto's profiled customer of this issue, Jason Harris, an electrician, uses several Veto Pro Pac toolbags:

 

 

"I use the LC for the majority if not all of my daily work.  In the profession that I am in, I can go from service work to troubleshooting, to adding a light or plug in a house or a complete service upgrade.  Everything to do all of this is in this bag.  I have a wide assortment of screwdrivers, nutdrivers, and 3 meters on one side and everything from strippers, Linesman pliers, water pump pliers, sockets, wrenches, cable cutters etc. on the other side. Honestly, everything that is in this LC previously was in my XL, and it still fits, just in a smaller package, which works well for me because it is easier to handle, getting in and out of tight places."

 

 

 

 

"Then there is my XL. This was my first Veto. I liked this bag so much that I bought one for my father. I have my XL filled with some of my bigger tools that I don't always need on a daily basis. These are the tools that are nice to have when you need them, just not all the time.  I keep my bigger water pump pliers, larger screwdrivers, PVC cutters, chisels, hammers etc. I love my Vetos; they are the best bags that I have ever owned. They carry thousands of dollars worth of tools. The best protection money can buy!  Thanks Veto Pro Pac!" 

 

 

 

 


THE HVAC PROJECT:    

 

Designing Tool Bags for the HVAC Market  

 

Most tool bag companies employ product designers and product engineers who have never worked a day in the field. These designers are challenged with determining how to design tool bags for a work routine they have never done and most likely do not understand. The end results are tool bags designed for price point and shelf space at Home Depot or Lowes, clearly a process which puts the end user's needs behind the economics of selling product to Mass Merchants.   

 

FACT: GUYS THAT WEAR COVERALLS KNOW MORE ABOUT DESIGNING TOOL BAGS THAN GUYS THAT WEAR SUITS

 

The fact is that experience in the field is the only way to understand what problems, issues, and concerns tradesmen face on a daily basis. At Veto we were founded because of Roger's frustrations with the tool bags he used during his twenty five years working as a carpenter. Rogers's knowledge from the field was critical in the design of our first tool bag and the subsequent bags we bought to market. Since Roger was a carpenter and that was the work he knew, the residential construction market was the sole focus of Veto in the early years. Our products, marketing and sales efforts were all aimed at carpenters.

 

Somewhere along the way some guys in the HVAC market found out about our bags and started to use them. Over the next few years this market grew quickly as word got out that our bags were particularly well suited for their daily work routine. Shortly thereafter, we started to get some excellent feedback about what changes HVAC guys would like to see in the design of our bags. Made sense. These bags were originally designed for carpenters, and HVAC guys work differently and carry different types of tools than carpenters.    

 

CHALLENGE: DESIGN BAGS FOR HVAC TRADESMEN

 

The next step was to then go about the process of designing a bag(s) for the HVAC market. Our first step was to do some surveys and read some of the threads on the forum websites such as HVAC-TALK.com. This effort provided us with a tremendous amount of ideas and a very good starting point to begin the design process. In particular, one survey we did allowed us to build out a "typical" HVAC service tech's set of tools. Made sense, to design a bag for a market you need to start with the right set of tools! 

 

Through this whole process what kept bothering us was that no one at Veto had ever worked in the HVAC field. It was great that we knew the tools they use, but we still had no idea about their daily work routine. How could we expect to design the best bags for the HVAC market if we had no idea what these guys did on a daily basis?

 

SOLUTION: PARTNER WITH A LOCAL HVAC COMPANY TO GET ROGER IN THE FIELD 

 

After wrestling with the idea of how to get Roger exposure to the HVAC daily work routine, we decided to partner with a local HVAC and Oil company called Gault Energy. The partnership has been great, we outfitted all of their 20 technicians with the Veto bag(s) of their choice and we were able to document the change over from their old bags to their new Veto bags and then ride with each of the technicians to observe their daily work routine and get direct feedback on our bags. Roger has been working on this project for the last three months and what has come from this is a much deeper understanding of the HVAC daily work routine and some amazing ideas on the design of bags for this market.

 

As we wrap up the phase 1 of our partnership with Gault, we are in the process of making prototypes of the new bags that we will roll out to the Gault technicians for testing in the next few months. Once the kinks are worked out on the prototypes, we will introduce these new bags to the market in the fall of 2011 and the spring of 2012.  Along the way, we will give you sneak peeks, such as the video above which introduces you to our new lap top bag. Please keep your eyes peeled for these sneak peaks, and as always please keep the feedback coming!   

 

   




 

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

   

Veto Customers Speak:

 

I bought my Veto Pro Pac LC on the spot. I would kick someone's ass over my Veto bag. I love it. Wisdom comes with age, I carry a Glock because I know it going to fire when I pull the trigger; I ride a Honda VTX because I know it will get me there; and, I carry a Veto Pro Pac because I know it will hold up to anything I subject it to. And you can take that to the bank

 

Thanks for making such a great tool bag that will stand the test of time.

 

Veto makes the best tool bag in the world

Love the bag. Going to get a XXL when my other brand bag bites the dust. It just makes sense.

Since I bought my bag, 3 more of my co-workers have bought the XL bag too. It's catching on very fast.

So far, this is proving to be the most versatile, and, by far, the toughest tool case I've ever owned.

I think I'll put this bag in my will because I think it will last that long.

My WISH LIST includes at least 8 more of your great tool bags!

I should have bought this bag a couple of years ago when I began my career as a HVAC service technician.  I love the compact design, making it easier to access roof tops and work in the often undersized residential mechanical rooms.  I also like how all of my tools are so easily accessible.

This is the best tool bag I have ever owned.  You could almost fill a dumpster with the other tools bags I have used - and I am still using-- for storing things.  I have tried every tool bag, tool box, 5 gallon pail rig, or tote you can imagine over the last 23 years.  I have even made several really nice tool carriers out of wood.  I have known about the Pro Pac bags for a few years now, after seeing the ads in Fine Homebuilding, and I was just about to make myself another wooden tool box when I found a local dealer for your tool bags.  Damn, am I glad I found them.

This is hands down the best tool bag on the market, the best I have ever owned and if someone uses a tool bag everyday they would be an idiot to pass up this product. Knowing what I know now about the VETO-Pro Pac, I would have paid double for it.

Thank you for making these tool bags.  I don't know how I ever managed without one! Plus your warranty is as tough as the bag! Thank you for making my work day easier.   

"STRANGE BUT TRUE" TOOLS




Circumcision Knife (1770s). Ritual circumcision is performed around the world in varying extents and for varying reasons, but few instruments used in the process are as intimidating as this European knife from the 18th century.


Surgical Knife

Amputation Knife (1700s). Knives used for amputations during the 18th century were typically curved, because surgeons tended to make a circular cut through the skin and muscle before the bone was cut with a saw. By the 1800s, straight knives became more popular because they made it easier to leave a flap of skin that could be used to cover the exposed stump.






Trephine (1800s). This trephine was a hand-powered drill with a cylindrical blade that was used to bore into the skull. The spike in the center was used to start the procedure and to hold the blade in place while cutting.


Facebook Photo Contest
Facebook Logo
Please take a minute to help your fellow tradesmen by posting a picture(s) of your organized Veto tool bag. By posting your photos, and tips, for organizing your tools, you help other Veto owners make their routines more efficient! Every month we draw a winner who receives a new Veto bag of their choice.

Congratulations to our recent winners!

December 2010 - James Williams won a Model XXL-F
January 2011 - Tim Parrish won a Model LT-XL
February 2011 - Dave Eggleston won a Model OT-XXL
March 2011 -  Ryan Reiling won a Model OT-XXL


To post your photos and enter the contest, please click on the following link: Click Here to Win a Veto Bag

FEEDBACK

If you have an idea for Veto Pro Pac you would like to share (product improvement, new product, general feedback, or of you would like to contribute an article to a future edition of Veto News, etc.) please send a note to sales@vetopropac.com or give us a call at 1-877-847-1443. If we use your idea in a future newsletter you'll win a free Veto bag of your choice!

 


Featured Video:

 

Roger Brouard

Founder of Veto Pro Pac

 

 

Introduces the LT-2

Laptop/Mobile Business Bag




Veto Pro Files
Spring Customer Profile

Name:

 Jason Harris

Profession:

 Electrician/Service Tech

Location:

 Grand Rapids, MI

Model(s) Used:

 LC, XL

 

 

"I Love Veto Pro Pac tool bags. I have been an Electrician for 12 years. I have tried probably about 20 different tool bags. Some were better than others, but none of them hold a candle to the Veto Pro Pac system. I pride myself on being an organized guy, and now my bags help drive that home. No more digging around on the bottom of gate mouth bags looking for the right tools. I can see exactly what I want, when I want it. These are the best tool bags made PERIOD! That's why I bought two. Thanks."

 

 

See Jason's Dedicated Tool Bags in our "Dedicated Tool Bags" article
Man Food

At Veto we love good food and thought it would be fun to share some of our tried and true recipes.


Man Food Spring 2011 1

 

Sausage and Warm Potato Salad

 

From: Dale Bunce - Veto Pro Pac National Sales Manager - HVAC  

 

This is one of my favorite recipes for several reasons, but most important, it is quick and delicious.  You can use any sausage you like and the whole thing takes no more than 40 minutes to prepare.  I have used this for serving 20 people and also for a quiet candle light dinner for two. 

 

There are two important parts of this recipe: the dressing for the potatoes and the wine reduction for the sausage.  Let's do the dressing first.

 


Warm Potato Salad:   

   

Start by making the dressing; this is a simple vinegar and oil dressing with a few twists.  This is for serving two.  To increase just multiply accordingly: 

 

One tablespoon red wine vinegar

Two tablespoons good olive oil

A good pinch of salt

One teaspoon of Dijon mustard

3 sliced scallions (green onions)

2 or 3 sprigs of parsley or cilantro ( I like cilantro but either will work)

One tablespoon sliced green salad olives

 

Mix these ingredients while your potatoes are cooking.

 

Take your potatoes (new potatoes are best, I like the small red skin variety-stay away from Yukon type as they are mushy in this recipe)and put in a pan of water and bring to a boil.  These will cook for 20 minutes at a low boil.  

 

When the potatoes have cooked for 20 minutes, remove them from the pot and slice them in large slices.  Put them in a bowl and add your dressing (make sure you wisk or stir the dressing well before you add to the potatoes).

 

 

Sausages:


Sausage is man food.  I like to find French garlic sausage when I can.  If I can't, I use anything I can find from chorizo to sweet Italian.

 

When the potatoes are 10 minutes into cooking, start your sausage (prick the sausage in several places before putting in the pan or on the grill). Put the sausage in a pan (or on the grill) after brushing with olive oil.  Brown them on both sides first than cook over low heat turning frequently for a total of 20 minutes.

 

When the sausages are finished, remove them from the pan or grill.  Now, pour a good splash of red wine (any will do, I use Burgundy) into your skillet, add a pad of butter and let it get to a strong simmer and let it cook until the wine reduces by half and becomes thicker.  This shouldn't take longer than 4-5 minutes.

 

Final Step:


Place the potatoes and sausages on a plate and pour the wine reduction over the sausages. 

 

Serve this with a nice red wine.  I use Pinot Noir because it goes with almost all foods but anything you like will do. 

 

Enjoy

 

VETO Favorite Movie Quotes


Talladega Nights, 2006

_________________ 

Ricky Bobby: You sick, sons of bitches. I mean you walk in that door, on your two legs... all fat and cocky and lookin at me in my chair. And you tell me its all in my head? I hope that both of you have sons... Handsome, beautiful, articulate sons, who are talented and star athletes and they have their legs taken away. I mean I pray you know that pain and that hurt. 
Lucius Washington

Don't you put that evil on me, Ricky Bobby! Don't you put that on us! You are NOT paralyzed! 

_____________________

Lucius Washington
:
You're not gonna live forever. 
Ricky Bobby:
No one lives forever, no one. But with advances in modern science and my high level income, it's not crazy to think I can live to be 245, maybe 300. Heck, I just read in the newspaper that they put a pig heart in some guy from Russia. Do you know what that means? 
Lucius Washington:
No, I don't know what that means. I guess longer life. 
Ricky Bobby:
No, he didn't live. It's just exciting that we're trying things like that.
______________________

Susan: Hi, I'm his lady. I'm Susan. I painted the car, I... we had sex. 
Reese Bobby:
Is that right? 
SusanRicky Bobby:
Yeah. 
Reese Bobby:
Well, I wish I coulda been there for that. 
______________________

Ricky Bobby: Wait, Dad. Don't you remember the time you told me "If you ain't first, you're last"? 
Reese Bobby:
Huh? What are you talking about, Son? 
Ricky Bobby:
That day at school. 
Reese Bobby:
Oh hell, Son, I was high that day. That doesn't make any sense at all, you can be second, third, fourth... hell you can even be fifth. 
Ricky Bobby:

What? I've lived my whole life by that!

_________________________

Cal Naughton, Jr.: Shake and bake! 
Ricky Bobby:
What does that do? Does that blow your mind? That just happened! 
Jean Girard:

Is that a catchphrase or epilepsy?

______________________

Ricky Bobby:

Well let me just quote the late-great Colonel Sanders, who said..."I'm too drunk to taste this chicken."

_________________________

Ricky Bobby:

Here's the deal I'm the best there is. Plain and simple. I wake up in the morning and I piss excellence. 

______________________

Ricky Bobby: I've sent in my application to the Real World. So I'm hoping to hear back from that. I'm putting A LOT of my eggs into that basket, the MTV basket. I'm also thinking about getting a gun, and dealing crack. Being a crack dealer. Not like a mean crack dealer, but like... like a nice one. Kinda friendly like, "hey, what's up guys? Want some crack?" I'm just waiting on those two things to flesh themselves out. 

 ______________________   

Ricky BobbyDear Lord Baby Jesus, I want tot thank your for this wonderful meal, my two beautiful sons, Walker and Texas Ranger, and my Red-Hot Smokin' Wife, Carley
______________________

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