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Photos by James Glover II / Star staff Jack Tracy, co-owner of SJ2 Industries, shows off his "3rd Hand" product, which serves as a trigger mechanism that lifts the lower safety guard with the same hand that operates the saw.
SJ2 Industries' "Original 3rd Hand" is a circular saw lower guard retractor for commercial saws.
STORY TOOLS 
More from BusinessSJ2 Industries LLC
Owners: Jack Tracy, James Larkin
Product or service: Manufacture and sell the "Original 3rd Hand," a circular saw lower guard retractor for commercial saws. The product serves as a trigger mechanism that lifts the lower safety guard with the same hand that operates the saw.
Location: Camarillo.
Date established: July 2005.
Hours open: 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Telephone: 445-1066
E-mail: Jack@sj2industries.com.
Web site: http://the3rdhand.com.
Employees: 2
Start-up costs: $100,000.
Estimated annual gross revenues: $1 million.
Questions to Jack Tracy: What prompted you to start your own business? I own a construction company called Jack Tracy Construction Inc. After 20-plus years in the industry and seeing the need for a product like the Original 3rd Hand, we decided to develop and distribute.
What is your educational and career background? I spent two years in college, and owned a general contracting construction company for more than 20 years.
How much research did you do before starting your business? I looked through 20,000 patents. There were lengthy discussions with OSHA and months of product testing with fellow contractors.
What were the most helpful sources, including Web sites? Positive approval from carpenters and OSHA feedback.
When were you the most discouraged? Engineering was the biggest challenge, because it's taking an idea and developing it into a three-dimensional working tool.
Other challenges included establishing dependable supply lines and getting store managers to return phone calls.
What company or individual do you admire? Gary Hardy, who invented the Hardy Panel, went through similar trials and tribulations of product design, development and distribution.
What will make your business stand out from competitors? Proprietary products, quality of products and strength of distribution.
Who is your target client/customer base? Framing contractors, concrete contractors, carpenters. Distribution with tool and hardware retail stores.
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