KZValve launches new partnership with Chicago company

OMAHA, Neb. - Sept. 11, 2019 - PRLog -- KZValve, a Nebraska-based manufacturing company, announced today a new business relationship with Prota Ventures of Chicago Illinois, to create 80Labs West LLC, a technology and manufacturing company based in  Greenwood, Nebraska. 80West Labs recently finalized the acquisition of the Vessi®, a home beer fermentation system from The Whirlpool Corporation.

Scott Morgan, President of KZValve, said the endeavor started almost four years ago when KZValve's innovation group (I.D.E.A. Labs) designed a solution for Whirlpool on the SRS (sediment removal system) for the original Vessi.

"Whirlpool came to KZValve with an engineering problem and the I.D.E.A. Labs team responded with a solution. Working closely together, I.D.E.A. Labs and KZValve, tested, validated, and then using a global supply chain, got the product into production," Morgan said.

"What was amazing about this endeavor was the deadlines to get a product designed and then into production in such an accelerated time frame. The I.D.E.A. Labs team and KZValve worked diligently and quickly to go from concept to actual finished goods in a box in short order," Morgan said.

"I.D.E.A. Labs and KZValve worked extensively with the team at W-Labs within Whirlpool."

"Our team of design engineers serves some of the largest manufacturing entities in the country, but our approach is always the same, understand the problem, innovate your way to a solution, and then get it implemented as soon as you can," Morgan said.

Nathanial Rasmussen, Business Innovation Manager with I.D.E.A. Labs, said they are excited to continue working with the Vessi product line.

"We are currently working hand in hand with our partners in Chicago and with existing customers to evolve the original Vessi. The home brewing industry is a creative and innovative group and we hope to bring new and exciting ideas to this brewing platform," Rasmussen said.

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KZValve is a family-owned business with manufacturing facilities located in the Ashland and Greenwood, NE area and has been in business since 1976.  KZValve produces rugged waterproof-motorized-electric valves and controllers for fluid management systems in a variety of industries domestically and around the world. https://kzvalve.com/

I.D.E.A. Labs, within KZValve, began as a think-tank group of employees including one of the founders of KZValve, Keith Ziegenbein.  I.D.E.A. is an acronym for Inventioneers Discovering Enterprise Applications. This group works in a lean manner to listen to customers, ideas, and applications to build and develop products that are outside of KZValve's current core industries and customer base.

For more information about KZValve or to schedule an interview please contact Barry Kitrell at 800-288-1112 or bkitrell@kzvalve.com.