Interviewee, Rick Feffer; Interviewer, David Shayt, National Museum of American History
name: label: Collection Interviewer
content: Shayt, David H.
label: Collection Creator
content: Wedge Innovations
setName: label: See more items in
content: Wedge Innovations Records
label: See more items in
content: Wedge Innovations Records / Series 7: Corporate Culture
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1996 August 29
container: label: Container
content: Box 24, Item 534.11
label: Container
content: Box 25, Item 534.11
label: Container
content: Box 26, Item 534.11
label: Container
content: Box 27
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
objectType: label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Moving Images
label: Type
content: Audio
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: Location: Palo Alto, California

In this interview, Rick Feffer discusses Macklanburg-Duncan's continuation of the SmartLevel, the future of construction tools and new tool technology, customer resistance to using the SmartLevel, the perception of the SmartLevel as a fragile tool and its durability, the choice of teak for SmartLevel rails, the wedge shape of the SmartLevel rail, the original stand-off clips, and the SmartLevel's digital bubble. 

He also discusses non-construction and machine shop uses for the SmartLevel, its use in Australia, and Andy Butler's new product, a Robo-Laser level.

Feffer continues with the Wedge's appearance at the Chicago Hardware Show [in 1991] and the resulting interest in the SmartLevel by Home Depot, training salespersons and setting up Home Depot stores for the SmartLevel, "guerilla marketing," direct marketing versus retail sales, Home Depot sales of the SmartLevel, venture capital investment in Wedge, other companies interested in acquiring Wedge Innovations, the reason behind the Macklanburg-Duncan purchase of Wedge and the characteristics of Macklanburg-Duncan as a company.