The story behind the TailGator Sunshade
Charlie is a native Plymouthian and mail carrier for USPS. Charlie also owns and operates Long Pond Landscape, a company that he started many years back maintaining local yards and constructing stone walls.
One of the perks of living in this beautiful town is the beach. Plymouth beach is a slim strip of land jetting northward from its connecting point at the site of Plimoth Plantation (Yes, it is actually spelled P-L-I-M-O-T-H). Charlie spent many a summer on Plymouth beach with friends and family often stringing up tarps for a shady retreat from the sometimes overbearing heat of the mid-summer sun.
The process was laborious and unstable and Charlie new there was a better way. Charlie thought about the idea of a shade that would attach to the vehicle using some kind of magnetic strip.
The next step was to find someone to make his idea a reality. After investing a large amount of money with a
company that led him down a dead end path over a 12 month period Charlie became discouraged. The design that this company rendered was impractical and their promises went completely unfulfilled.
Charlie was not about to give up!
The year was 2003.
Kenn and his wife along with their two children purchased their first house on the street of Charlie's mail route. Charlie became their mailman. Kenn is the owner and sole proprietor of KM Canvas designing and fabricating custom tops and interiors for the marine industry. Kenn's shop was in another town and his house was simply another stop on Charlie's route.
In 2004 the house next door to Kenn's went on the market. It was a beautiful white cape with a large yard and barn. Kenn's wife would often see the grandchildren of the owners running around and playing in the large yard and thought how wonderful it would be to have a place like that.
Kenn and his wife noticed the house on the market month after month. Almost a year after it went on the market they decided to make an offer. After some negotiating they purchased the house with its beautiful yard and barn. The barn was now the new home of KM Canvas.
The light bulb shines in Charlie's head!
After making the move into the new house and getting the new shop up and running Charlie notices the mail being delivered to KM Canvas. It was late fall of 2005 when Charlie leaves a note for Kenn about his idea. He asks Kenn if he could make a prototype based on the design that the former company rendered.
After a couple of weeks they discuss the shade and Kenn agrees to put some thought into it. Over the next few months Kenn thinks about the sunshade design and how he can build it with regards to optimal effectiveness and practicality.
It is now winter time and Kenn is mocking up the prototype in the shop and tweaking the design for construction.
The eureka moment!
It's another day on the route for Charlie as he is delivering the mail to KM Canvas when Kenn catches him outside and asks him to step into the shop for a second.
Upon entering the shop Charlie's eyes fall upon the birth of the TailGator Sunshade. The rounded, self supporting structure is nothing like he had imagined and he loved what he saw. The next day Charlie returned to deliver the mail and told Kenn that he was so excited about the new sunshade design that he wanted Kenn to become his partner. Kenn accepted!
The design was tested and tweaked over the next several months until it seemed to be right on.
A partnership is born.
Charlie proceeds with the patent process to protect the one of kind design while Kenn starts researching manufacturing options.
After a few months Charlie secures the patent pending protection needed to move into the public eye.
Kenn finds a company to mass produce the sunshade and sends them the prototype.
It takes 8 months of prototype "volleyball" with the manufacturer but the time and effort pays off. They end up with a product of the highest quality ready for the public.
The TailGator logo was graciously designed by well respected former Apple art director Tom Hughes responsible for the Mac logo. The time and effort that he has put into the product brand recognition is priceless.
The first order of 1000 units is delivered early spring of 2008. What a great day!
Onto the web.
Spring of 2008 the website is launched and the TailGator starts hitting the masses.TailGator Sunhade has now shipped to over 35 states and over seas and is constantly finding new markets.
And beyond.....
TailGator Sunshade llc. is now working on sales with a top marketing firm and hopes to attract major retailers and catalogue outlets by proving the TailGator Sunshade to be a viable, diverse and necessary product.
WWW.tailgatorusa.com
Charlie is a native Plymouthian and mail carrier for USPS. Charlie also owns and operates Long Pond Landscape, a company that he started many years back maintaining local yards and constructing stone walls.
One of the perks of living in this beautiful town is the beach. Plymouth beach is a slim strip of land jetting northward from its connecting point at the site of Plimoth Plantation (Yes, it is actually spelled P-L-I-M-O-T-H). Charlie spent many a summer on Plymouth beach with friends and family often stringing up tarps for a shady retreat from the sometimes overbearing heat of the mid-summer sun.
The process was laborious and unstable and Charlie new there was a better way. Charlie thought about the idea of a shade that would attach to the vehicle using some kind of magnetic strip.
The next step was to find someone to make his idea a reality. After investing a large amount of money with a
company that led him down a dead end path over a 12 month period Charlie became discouraged. The design that this company rendered was impractical and their promises went completely unfulfilled.
Charlie was not about to give up!
The year was 2003.
Kenn and his wife along with their two children purchased their first house on the street of Charlie's mail route. Charlie became their mailman. Kenn is the owner and sole proprietor of KM Canvas designing and fabricating custom tops and interiors for the marine industry. Kenn's shop was in another town and his house was simply another stop on Charlie's route.
In 2004 the house next door to Kenn's went on the market. It was a beautiful white cape with a large yard and barn. Kenn's wife would often see the grandchildren of the owners running around and playing in the large yard and thought how wonderful it would be to have a place like that.
Kenn and his wife noticed the house on the market month after month. Almost a year after it went on the market they decided to make an offer. After some negotiating they purchased the house with its beautiful yard and barn. The barn was now the new home of KM Canvas.
The light bulb shines in Charlie's head!
After making the move into the new house and getting the new shop up and running Charlie notices the mail being delivered to KM Canvas. It was late fall of 2005 when Charlie leaves a note for Kenn about his idea. He asks Kenn if he could make a prototype based on the design that the former company rendered.
After a couple of weeks they discuss the shade and Kenn agrees to put some thought into it. Over the next few months Kenn thinks about the sunshade design and how he can build it with regards to optimal effectiveness and practicality.
It is now winter time and Kenn is mocking up the prototype in the shop and tweaking the design for construction.
The eureka moment!
It's another day on the route for Charlie as he is delivering the mail to KM Canvas when Kenn catches him outside and asks him to step into the shop for a second.
Upon entering the shop Charlie's eyes fall upon the birth of the TailGator Sunshade. The rounded, self supporting structure is nothing like he had imagined and he loved what he saw. The next day Charlie returned to deliver the mail and told Kenn that he was so excited about the new sunshade design that he wanted Kenn to become his partner. Kenn accepted!
The design was tested and tweaked over the next several months until it seemed to be right on.
A partnership is born.
Charlie proceeds with the patent process to protect the one of kind design while Kenn starts researching manufacturing options.
After a few months Charlie secures the patent pending protection needed to move into the public eye.
Kenn finds a company to mass produce the sunshade and sends them the prototype.
It takes 8 months of prototype "volleyball" with the manufacturer but the time and effort pays off. They end up with a product of the highest quality ready for the public.
The TailGator logo was graciously designed by well respected former Apple art director Tom Hughes responsible for the Mac logo. The time and effort that he has put into the product brand recognition is priceless.
The first order of 1000 units is delivered early spring of 2008. What a great day!
Onto the web.
Spring of 2008 the website is launched and the TailGator starts hitting the masses.TailGator Sunhade has now shipped to over 35 states and over seas and is constantly finding new markets.
And beyond.....
TailGator Sunshade llc. is now working on sales with a top marketing firm and hopes to attract major retailers and catalogue outlets by proving the TailGator Sunshade to be a viable, diverse and necessary product.
WWW.tailgatorusa.com