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Internal News - 11 September 2006

Novel nail file wins Bath graduate a place on the high street

A Bath graduate has developed a new type of nail file that is being sold in Superdrug stores across the UK.

Tom Pellereau, who graduated with a first in Innovation and Engineering Design in the Department of Mechanical Engineering in 2002, became interested in nailfiles after his seeing his sister, Harriet, using them. Believing he could design a better product, he bought every type on the market.

He prototyped dozens of ideas until he hit on an S-shaped emery board which has advantages over traditional nail files. He called it the Stylfile.

Its curved shape makes it easier and quicker to use, and its silicon carbide surface ensures a high quality finish.

After two years’ work he found a distributor and gained an order for 65,000 files, enabling to start his company, Foxifile Ltd.

The business is growing gradually and the Stylfile is now on sale in Superdrug, and in more than 1000 local pharmacies and online at www.stylfile.com. It costs £2-99.

“During the product trials it became obvious that we were on to something,” said Tom, who works from his parents’ home in Hampshire. “In some cases we had real trouble getting the prototypes back from people.”

"Having a product on the market is a dream come true," said Tom. "The education, experiences and contacts gained at Bath have been crucial to my success giving me the ability to design an innovative product, get it to the high street and build a business."