With more than 200 years of history, Evansville has changed dramatically throughout the centuries, thriving on new ideas that have shaped the world. We’ve tracked down four innovative products spawned by Evansville creators. These items range from commercial to residential products that can be found all over the world.
Heliponix
Founded by Tri-State natives Scott Massey and Ivan Ball in 2017, Heliponix GroPods (featured in the December/January 2019 issue of Evansville Business) are devices that allow users to grow produce in their homes using hydroponics, a method of farming where plants can be grown using nutrient-fortified water instead of in soil. This tower of plants uses rotary aeroponics, which incrementally rotates the tower for equal light coverage.
Stove Top Stuffing
What would Thanksgiving be like without Stove Top Stuffing? Thanks to Evansville native Ruth Siems, we never have to answer that question. Seims, the inventor of tasty side dish, came up with the idea while working at General Foods, during a time when the demand was high for convenience food. Kraft Foods, who now own Stove Top Stuffing, sells about 60 million boxes a year in a variety of flavors including turkey, chicken, pork, cornbread, and whole wheat.
Crushed Ice Dispenser
A luxury at the time of its creation, the crushed ice dispenser is common in many modern refrigerators. Invented by Evansville resident Robert Hartman in the late 1970s during his long career at Whirlpool, you can thank him for ice in your cold drink on a hot summer day. Today, Hartman spends his time on personal art projects, including postcards of famous Evansville landmarks.
Roy Halston Frowick
Roy Halston Frowick was a superstar fashion designer in the 1970s. Moving from Iowa to Evansville at the age of five, Frowick’s interest in fashion flourished at an early age. He went on to style for movie stars and other celebrities and eventually signed a deal to have his designer clothes in J.C. Penny. He also designed Jackie Kennedy’s famous pillbox hats. In 2019, he was the subject of a documentary “Halston” that aired on CNN.
