Like so many American innovators, Nottingham Spirk started in a garage. Well, a carriage house, but close enough. In 1972, Cleveland Institute of Art grads John Nottingham and John Spirk teamed up to offer a unique blend of customer-focused product design. Now, after nearly 50 years of smash hits like Little Tikes, the Crest Spinbrush, and Swiffer Sweep + Vac (along with a move into its spacious Innovation Center on the east side of Cleveland), the company is not slowing down. Nottingham and Spirk share their approach to innovation, how they turn patents into products, and what’s next.
