Call it one of those inventions that was hiding in plain sight.
When Dan Cheal of Thunder Bay plopped his infant daughter into a restaurant high chair, the cleanliness of the serving tray left something to be desired.
“That bothered me because she didn't ask to eat off that surface, I exposed her to it,” said Cheal.
With the memory of SARS and H1N1 still fresh in his mind, it gave him food for thought on the drive home.
“I wanted to solve the problem not only for my kid, but for other kids.”
As a fledgling entrepreneur, Cheal, 39, has brought to market a sanitary slip-on cover that acts as a germ-free barrier between a serving tray and an infant.
With the trademarked name of Tidy Trays, his invention has been resonating with concerned parents who are finding him through the web and word of mouth.
“People wipe (trays) down with bacterial wipes, but you're not getting everything. My product completely eliminates any contact with your child and the tray,” and also protects them against traces of peanuts which may trigger an allergic reaction.
Made of coated polyester, the cover is machine-washable and folds into a pouch that can be carried in a purse or diaper bag. The material is made at a Mount Forest, Ont. manufacturer and is sewn together in Thunder Bay by a local seamstress.
With a provisional patent in hand, his product
harmful chemical compounds.
His startup company, Dream Big Innovations, is only a part-time venture for Cheal, who works for Twin City Refreshments delivering and selling coffee products.
The Tidy Tray sells for $9.99 on his website, but is slightly higher in price with some Canadian retailers, boutiques, pharmacies and baby stores he distributes to.
After being on the market for years, and suffering through some growing pains, Cheal is finally hitting his stride.
He boldly talked his way into getting Tidy Trays put on display at the Thunder Bay Wal-Mart. An order for 12 quickly turned into 68, and before long he was at the retailer's Mississauga headquarters locking up national distribution.
“I've got a lot of big fish on the line right now, I just have to land them.”
So far, he's hooked Rexall, Pharma Plus, Chapters book stores, plus a number of specialty and gift shops in Thunder Bay and Duluth, Minn. Toys R Us and Babies R Us offer it online.
Cheal said he's also close to a deal with a large Quebec pharmaceutical chain, which would give him added Eastern Canada exposure.
Though he's reluctant to divulge units sold on the record, it's easily in the thousands, much of that with zero marketing and advertising.
With queries coming through his website, he's shipped small orders to the U.S., including a daycare in North Carolina, where Tidy Trays have been approved by the state health authority.
He's also set to ship his first orders to Italy and Germany.
Though designed for high chairs, Cheal discovered on an international flight that his product fits snuggly around the flip-down trays too. It didn't go unnoticed by the flight attendants who encouraged him to market it as a travel item.
Thunder Bay International Airport sells them in the gift shop and in September began displaying them on the main concourse.
One of his business advisors praised Cheal for his social skills, perseverance and ability to problem solve in overcoming obstacles.
“He's a true example of someone who thinks about simple wins,” said Nick Kolobutin, a commercialization specialist with the Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre in Thunder Bay. He's assisting Cheal with marketing and sales. “He's been able to turn simple wins into bigger wins by looking at things in smaller chunks at a time.
“His true strengths lie as someone who's willing to knock on doors. He's not shy.”
Kolobutin helped Cheal redraft his packaging and has worked on a social media campaign with web blogs, Facebook and YouTube videos, all geared to consumers with children under the age of five.
“We're looking at how we can spend as little as possible and get the most bang for our buck.”
Kolobutin said the product is attracting considerable interest from Europe and Africa.
But for a modestly priced product that's made in Thunder Bay, Kolobutin said the business can only get bigger if Cheal gets his margins and volumes up.
Working in his favour is a growing consumer trend to want to buy Canadian-made products instead of textile products from Asia that may contain lead.
“Dan's a likeable guy and he's got great sales charisma. I think some people in the community wrote him off but he always seems to rise above and succeed.”
