On the case and aiming to get it covered

As more manufacturing is lost to various lower-cost locations abroad, it is heartening to hear of a business in the west trying to reverse the trend. Sligo-based Kovet has just launched in the past couple of weeks to design and make protective cases for the iPhone 4 and 4S smartphones. It was founded by managing director Andrew Hodson and four colleagues, with about €40,000 in funding. Kovet is working with seven Irish illustrators on designs, while Inblex Plastics in Sligo will make the products. "It does cost more [to make them here], there's no doubt about that," Hodson says, "but we can still make money doing it here and the quality is better because we're not mass-producing them." Good luck to them.