Lava Design and Jim Easley Melissa Easley Check Fraud, Extortion and Poor Service Internet, Internet

I hired Jim Easley of Lava Design as a consultant well over a year ago to help design products for my start-up medical device company and have never witnessed the above accussations to be true on my part. I have worked with many mechanical and industrial engineers in the past and consider Jim to be one of the top!

When it comes to hiring, I am very particular about who I hire to represent my company and I do my research. The Better Business Bureau has a top notch rating for Lava Design and Jim not only represents his company with class, his skills are highly praised. I have worked with Jim side-by-side and have never been displeased by his work. He has stepped into the medical device industry with very little experience in the field and with his help we have developed numerous high tech products to meet the demand of the fast growing industry that have been praised not only by performance but functionality too. My products are in use at major research institutions and representing large OEMs to help study, diagnose, and treat patients with dibilitating diseases and Jim has had a solid hand in the devolopment of such products.

I have worked as an Electrical/ RF Engineer for many years now, which includes working with "all walks of life." Some understand the development side of products and others don't. I have found in the past that my products success is characterized by how well I have outlined the details for my engineers and although ideas are great for an invention, it doesn't cut it for the development of the product.

All I have to say is Kudos to Lava Design. Keep up the good work.

I am a former employee of Jim and Melissa Easley of Lava Design in Spring Park.  I have also worked under Jim Easley at another Minnesota-based design firm for several years.  I currently work at a competitive firm and was not asked to write this rebuttal, doing it on my own free will because I think that the accusations against Jim and Melissa are unfair and probably unjustified.

I do not question that there was probably a miscommunication between the two parties, which can happen in consulting, especially with clients who may not have experience developing a product. I was not personally involved and cannot directly comment about this but I am suspicious about these accusations based on my 20-year history of working with, specifically Jim Easley, and having a personal relationship outside of work with the Easley family. 

In the 20 or so years of either working with or interacting with the Easley's, never once did I witness an act of selfishness, malice, dishonest conduct or unprofessional business practices. They are outstanding citizens of the Spring Park community, heavily immersed in the local church and involved in many volunteer events.  Probably the most generous couple I have ever met. Jim and Melissa are role models not only in the local business community but the Minneapolis/St Paul design community. In addition, Jim Easley has been honored with mutiple awards from the Industrial Designers Society of America. 

Again, I have no reason to write this.  I will not benefit from writing this and considering I work for a competitve firm, probably should not be but I feel very strongly that the charge of fraud against Lava Design is not accurate and totally out of character for these business owners.  Take it for what its worth; there are always two sides to each story.  It is unfortunate that the client did not have positive outcomes working with Lava but I know hundreds of others, from personal experience, that have had a great experience. Thank you for reading this; I hope this was helpful.