When you think about famous inventors in history, names like Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison & Henry Ford usually come to mind. Their inventions have all changed the way we live our lives on a daily basis.
Some great inventors though don’t have the name recognition that the above do, but their inventions were equally important.
Have you ever heard of Clarence Birdseye?
Probably not….but his invention revolutionized suburbanization as much as the automobile did.
He invented the idea of “frozen food.”
No. He didn’t invent the freezer. No. He didn’t invent food.
What he did was bring the idea of the two together. He realized that by freezing food, it could last longer in people’s homes while staying fresh. This changed the way humans ate and allowed people to move to the suburbs more rapidly.
Birdseye’s idea didn’t became mainstream until he could convince people to buy into frozen commodities. Once he did though, his invention become commonplace in every suburban home.
In the early 1910’s, Clarence spent time on an expedition in Labrador, Canada. He witnessed eskimos freezing food in the winter in order to preserve them. By 1925, Birdeye had unveiled the Quick Freeze Machine. He sold the company to General Foods while he continued to work for them as a consultant.
Throughout the course of his life, Birdseye patented 300 inventions, including grocery store freezers a
mong many others. When he passed away in 1956, frozen food had grown into a one billion dollar industry.
His inventions were so successful because he was able to show people how his products/services would improve their lives.
Whether your an inventor, employee, or entrepreneur, it’s important for you to do the same.
