From solar eclipse to business brilliance: Grafix Plastics shines bright with SafeShot™ innovation

Following the 2017 eclipse, a Maple Heights business knew there was a better – and safer – way to capture the phenomenon.  Following the 2017 eclipse, a Maple Heights business knew there was a better – and safer – way to capture the phenomenon.
The sun brings light and life and growth. For one Maple Heights business it also brought a very bright idea – and business opportunity. During the 2017 eclipse, Jordan Katz, president of the film manufacturing company Grafix Plastics, observed spectators awkwardly – and dangerously – trying to photograph the eclipse with their smartphone.  An idea was born. Katz knew that the next solar eclipse visible in the United States would take place in 2024 – and that the city where his 61-year-old family business has grown would be in the path of totality. He also knew that Grafix and its suppliers had the materials and expertise needed to create a product that would allow people to safely view and capture the event. With their smartphone as well as their eyes. “We thought we could make a real contribution with a quality product,” says Katz. “As we started doing our background research … the thought occurred to us, well, what if we created something whereby there was a broader protection and people didn’t have to switch back and forth between their glasses and phone?” This isn’t the only way Grafix is innovating around the eclipse. They are also providing the film going into millions of eclipse viewing glasses being distributed around the country. Katz says they’ve already sold over a quarter-million square feet of Eye Safe filter film. From 2019 to 2023, the Grafix team created 12 different designs. The result is the final SafeShot design we see today. At the same time, the company began an extensive technical program to develop the Eye Safe filter film, the key element to all direct viewing eclipse devices, especially eclipse glasses. Both Grafix’s Eye Safe Solar Filter Film and the final SafeShot design were submitted for Eye Safety testing by IGS Labs in Brunswick in late ’22 and early ’23 respectively. IGS Labs is a certified testing organization that specializes in Eye and Face Protection testing and certification. Both passed the stringent ISO standard for eye and face protection for extended solar viewing (ISO 12312-2 (:2015)E). The SafeShot viewer allows spectators to capture the eclipse through their smartphone’s camera or to safely look at it What really sets SafeShot apart from all the other eclipse viewing options, is that it’s the first device enabling users to securely view and record a total solar eclipse with their smartphones. SafeShot doesn’t just adhere to International Standards Organization eye safety standards, Grafix and SafeShot are endorsed as safe for the eclipse by the American Astronomical Society’s Eclipse Taskforce. Katz and his team worked closely with the eclipse task force to thoroughly understand eye safety and ergonomic factors in supplying eclipse gear to the general public. The unique product allows consumers to watch the eclipse through SafeShot’s viewing window, eliminating the need for viewing glasses, while they photograph it with their smartphone attached to a reusable adhesive system. The smartphone window protects the camera’s lens with a phone sensor optimized solar filter. It’s universally compatible with most smartphones and requires no additional apps. The company has been selling around 3,000 solar viewer cards per day and expects to sell more than 100,000 by April 8. “Based on a lot of the other research that we did, 50% of the buying activity for the solar eclipse is going to happen the week of,” says Katz. (See safeshot-viewer.com for a list of vendors, including Walmart, Amazon, Meijer, and other local resellers.)  Their quick adaptation of new products and practices is no surprise given the company’s history. Begun in 1963 by a Katz family friend as an art supply business, the company purchased by Katz’s father in 1985 evolved into printing and desktop publishing, and eventually plastic film. Katz joined the business in 1994 after spending time working for the space program and NASA in Washington, DC. His sister, Hayley Prendergast is joined the company in ’92 after moving back to Cleveland after college. Prendergast and Katz Katz credits COSE, which Grafix joined in the early ‘90s, with helping his businesses’ evolution. “Our father, Larry, was a big advocate of COSE. He spent a lot of time doing strategic planning through the COSE strategic planning program. Then he himself became a mentor through COSE. “When we were doing the strategic planning back in ‘95, we were working with an art material consultant and he was looking at our business and our sales data — and about 10% of our business was selling plastic film to other manufacturers. He said,’ Let’s do an exercise. Let’s think about ourselves as a plastic company. And where does that take us?’ And of course, the “plastics” industry is a giant industry and plastic film is [a small part of that]. We did the exercise and it really looked like there was a big opportunity we were missing.” Katz says Greater Cleveland has proved an ideal location for growth. “People really don’t know that in the world of plastics, the Silicon Valley of plastics exists between downtown Cleveland and downtown Akron — and between Case and Kent State and University of Akron. “There’s a lot of technical heft in this area that we can draw upon, and everybody’s very accepting of working with businesses; people are of a growth and innovation mindset.” So, what’s next for Grafix – after April 8? “We’re in a transition as a company in terms of the technology of sales and merchandising,” says Katz. “We see a lot more opportunities in digital distribution through Amazon and Walmart and other sites like that. We are trying to speed up our industrial sales cycle by adding digital content as well as expanding our online catalog. We continue to work very aggressively with the retailers that we already have and supporting their programs to reinvent themselves as well.” Before this, however, Katz has one more plan for immediately after April 8. “I’m going to take a vacation,” he laughs. An annular solar eclipse captured using the Safeshot Learn More   Learn More
SafeShot™ the solar eclipse viewer for both your smartphone and your eyes (safeshot-viewer.com) Your guide to the solar eclipse – in totality – Greater Cleveland Partnership