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Innovative painter's tool is a must-have
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Marketed to the DIY or professional painter, the Belt Bucket® is a patented tool created to make painting faster, easier and.jpg)
safer. The Belt Bucket® was designed to solve the frustrations around painting such as spillage, safety, convenience and—most importantly—hand fatigue.
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Q.: Larry, can you tell Home and Living Readers a little about your background?
A.: I’ve been a painting contractor for over 12 years. Five years ago I expanded my business to include consulting on Interior Design projects for high-end home remodels. My favorite projects were wine cellar builds and kitchen remodels. I've been an artist since I was 15 years old and have always been good with color and working with my hands. It is these skills that have allowed me to have such success with my chosen businesses.
Q.: I'm curious, did your product come about because of an injury or major spill? I'm thinking: did you fall off a ladder or spill a bucket of paint?
A.: Luckily I have not had any major injuries or falls from a ladder. Unfortunately, I have not been able to avoid major spills—it’s all part of the job. Actually the Belt Bucket® was born out of necessity. I was trying to paint a chimney stack from an extremely high-pitched roof, I had secured myself with ropes and a harness and even wore rock-climbing shoes for the project, but I couldn’t figure out where I was going to safely set my paint bucket without it tumbling down and spilling on the roof. So I decided to duct tape a plastic bucket to my waist so that I would have safe and convenient access to my paint. I started doing it all the time . . . I haven’t painted the traditional way since that day. But I’ll tell you many of our customers have a story to tell about how they weren’t so lucky and did fall off the ladder—usually with a gallon of paint in one hand and a paint brush in the other. They buy the Belt Bucket with that incident in mind.
Q.: What are some of the properties of Belt Bucket that make it a good product?
A.:The Belt Bucket® is the next generation paint pail, designed with both DIY’ers and contractors in mind. It attaches at the waist allowing for quick, easy and safe access to paint and tools, while keeping your hands completely free so you can actually do the work. The smart, two-point contact keeps the bucket upright as you bend, kneel, and climb so there is no need to worry about it spilling. The Belt Bucket® is designed to work with either a paint brush or a mini-roller, which many painters switch back-and-forth between on a project which is a huge benefit. The disposable liners and lids allow for quick and easy cleanup or color changes, or you can take a lunch break and not have to worry about your paint drying out or spilling. You wanted to know some of the properties . . . that’s probably good enough – but that’s definitely not all.
Q.: Is this your launch debut?
A.: Yes, we recently launched the Belt Bucket® to the retail market in May at the National Hardware Show in Las Vegas. It was a successful launch and we are excited about the phenomenal response we received from both retailers and consumers. We also won a Retailers Choice Award while we were there which is awarded by The Retail Hardware Association's Hardware Retailing Magazine. We were pleased that the Belt Bucket was recognized by this prestigious organization.
Q.: How did you get your product to market?
A.: Well, let’s just say it isn’t an easy process. The first challenge was finding someone who could financially support the efforts and secondly, mentor us through the patent and manufacturing process. Once we found that person it was easier, but still not easy. We have invested everything into making this product successful—time, money, and energy. Basically we had a dream to bring the Belt Bucket® to life and develop a company around the product line and we have done everything necessary to make that a reality.
Q.: I can see a lot of thought went into the materials. Did you have failure in the beginning?
A.: I have to chuckle a little . . . you must have walked in my shoes before! Honestly, we have not considered any step of this entire experience a failure—even when we have had to go back to square one and start over again. We have learned so much and been shaped from situations that have not been ideal, we wouldn’t change that. We have put so much into our marketing materials and it has been worth it. We finally have the professional look that markets the Belt Bucket perfectly. It’s an innovative new product and the marketing materials need to educate as much as they need to catch-the-eye of and excite the end-user.
Q.: Did your family have something to do with bringing Belt Bucket to market?
A.: Without our families the Belt Bucket® would have never come to life. We have had support in every single way from our families and friends. They remain the voice of reason when things get tough. I think they enjoy being on this journey with us. This is one of the most exciting things I’ve ever done and not many people get to experience an adventure like this.
Q.: How difficult was it to set up this company venture?
A.: If you’re asking how difficult it was to setup our corporation legally, it wasn’t difficult . . . just expensive—we had our business attorney take care of everything. Developing a business model and getting the right people on board to implement it has been a bit more difficult but we feel that we are in a very strong position today. My wife and I wish we had taken more business courses in college to help with the process, but we have quickly learned the steps to getting a business started properly.
Q.: Where can Readers find Belt Bucket®?
A.: We have begun selling the Belt Bucket® to several different retailers. We were recently setup as a vendor for Sutherland Lumber and Home Center, about 70 stores nationwide. We have also landed several Independent Ace Hardware accounts . . . so you can go into your local Ace or Sutherlands and ask for the Belt Bucket, perhaps they carry it and if not you’re planting a seed that they need to. You can also visit us at www.thebeltbucket.com where you can purchase the Belt Bucket. We offer many more colors on the website. . . so if you’re a fan of pink you’ll have to visit the site.
Q.: Is there anything else you would like to tell Home and Living Readers?
A.: I would like to share that we plan to develop and expand our product line to include faux painting accessories and new and improved liners and lids so please check in with us periodically. We also love to hear about our customer’s Belt Bucket® experiences so please submit your feedback and photos to larry@pbpindustries.com—we’ll post them on our website. We’d especially like to hear from you if you find a new and creative use for your Belt Bucket . . . like . . . blueberry picking.
To address the comments, I've added a couple close-ups in the slideshow feature—check it out!
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