History One day in 1981 Joel Marks was working in a tight spot in the engine compartment of his 1967 MGB (a car he continues to drive daily). It was frustrating work and he knew there had to be a better way. A light bulb switched on in his head and a squeeze-powered rotary screwdriver called SqueezeDriver® was born. From 1982-1985 Joel worked on the SqueezeDriver® every chance he had. He invested over 2,000 hours to achieve a "final design." In 1985 Mike Marks, Joel's brother, and Brad Golstein, Mike's college friend, joined Joel to found WorkTools, Inc. Starting in the garage of their parent's house, with parts sourced from manufacturers in the US and Taiwan, SqueezeDrivers were intially assembled by Joel and Mike next to a 21' sailboat that was used as a storage shelf. Outgrowing the garage WorkTools' SqueezeDriver operations came to incorporate a semi-automated assembly line that used machines designed and built by Joel.
SqueezeDriver® was introduced by WorkTools in 1988 and won immediate acclaim. The tool enjoyed initial success with Brookstone, Sears catalog, QVC and in 2 minute and 30 minute infomercials. It appeared in Kmart and Target and was sold in over 50 countries around the world. This apparent success inspired numerous illegal knockoffs. One of the knockoffs was so faithful to to the original that "WorkTools, Los Angeles" was engraved in the housing! Unfortunately, 1988 was also the year that the battery powered cordless screwdriver made its hyperbolic debut. Overshadowed by the cordless screwdriver, SqueezeDriver® ultimately failed to find fame and fortune. Joel and WorkTools persevered. In 1992 Joel invented a revolutionary new staple gun. The first crude prototype received enthusiastic approval in user surveys. The new product was licensed to Black & Decker and became the PowerShot® Forward-Action® stapler.
Today
WorkTools continues to develop new products for its current partners and is on the lookout for new venture-inventing opportunities. Brad
I Golstein - Brad manages WorkTools legal affairs and day to day operations. Prior to WorkTools he practiced law representing clients such as Weyerhaeuser and JVC Entertainment. When he's not working he's most likely with his fsamily or on a tuna fishing trip off the coast of Mexico. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from UC Berkeley with a degree in History in 1980 and then received both a JD and MBA from UCLA in 1984. Joel Marks - Joel is the creative genius behind WorkTools' products. He's developed his own unique style of inventing and tackles problems comprehensively in consideration of marketplace, manufacturing and intellectual property. Joel is a 1982 Engineering graduate of UCLA. He was formerly employed by TRW in its Spacecraft Engineering Division, where his primary responsibilities were precision fabrication and assembly of spacecraft hardware and the design and management of product tests. Away from WorkTools he spends time travelling and occasionally working on the 1967 MGB that started it all. Mike Marks - Mike is responsible for turning WorkTools' creations into commercial successes. Whether its a licensing deal, partnership or joint venture Mike finds a way of putting the pieces of the puzzle together so everyone wins. In the years before WorkTools Mike was commercial photographer and photo-journalist in New York City. Mike received a degree in Economics from UCLA in 1978. Away from his desk Mike is likely to be surfing, sailing and spending time with his family.
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