Stanwood, Washington - April 09, 2005 – BagButton to replace Space Bag the food saver and garbage compactor with the economical twist of using your own garbage bags.
April 9, 2005 (Press Release) --
With the BagButton a vacuum and your garbage bags you will save space, vacuum pack food and compact garbage almost free.
An economical space saving and vacuum packing solution is hear.
This story was written by Kelly Ruhoff, Staff Reporter for Stanwood/Camano News, Washington State.
FAMILY INVENTORS SEE SUCCESS IN THE BAG
BagButton could become as familiar to homeowners, travelers, and hikers as Velcro, bungee cords, and duck tape did in the last quarter-of-a-century.
The idea developed out of desperation, but this innovative family hopes their money-saving gadget will also button up their independence. In 1997, Larry Storey and Heather Kendall-Storey, along with their two young children, began living in a leaky, old mobile home on eight acres near the inlet to Lake Ketchum in Stanwood, waiting for building permits to be approved from Snohomish County. “We fought the county for about five years,” explained Storey. Storey, 46, was left partially paralyzed on his left leg and completely on his left arm after a motorcycle accident 18 years ago, yet remained in the building trade. Meanwhile, the couple planted about 400 trees on their property to comply with environmental protection laws so they could build their home, while trying to save belongings in their rapidly-decaying home. “We just started losing everything”, said Storey. They attempted to preserve items in garbage bags, but moisture soon found its way inside, causing mildew to form.
Ads on TV for the Space Bag, a waterproof, airtight vacuum bag, caught their attention, but they were too expensive for the family—with the amount of bags they needed. So, the couple began brainstorming ideas on how to devise a cheaper alternative. They started with a lid from a five-gallon water bottle regularly delivered to their home. They used the lid as an o-ring, placing it on the opening to a garbage bag and fanning it out to make a bouquet. With the hose of a vacuum cleaner turned on, they placed it over the o-ring and saw the possibilities begin to take shape. It began sucking air out of the bag to make it smaller and airtight. “It worked really super,” said Storey. Several modifications later, accomplished even during the building of their two-story stucco home, they applied for a patent.
“The amount of engineering is absolutely phenomenal,” said Storey. Financed by three -mortgages on their home for the product’s development, manufacture and packaging, they began test marketing the BagButton on the World Wide Web last fall.
Big companies began vying for the product rights, but the financial arrangement would have left the family holding an empty bag, paying more to the State of Washington than what they would have made, said Storey. “To see what the public would actually pay, we got on auction sites and got as much as $20,” he said. “We sold about 1,000 last Fall.” They dropped the price to $14.95 and got their own Web site. With the help of banner ads, they began selling 200 a day. “They’re going like crazy,” said Storey. “It’s just amazing how it’s taken off.
The BagButton works ideally with a cheap vacuum, reducing a pillow to three-quarters-of-an-inch, said Storey. It also works well for sleeping bags, clothes, storage, and for efficient suitcase packing, said Kendall-Storey. “There are so many places we haven’t even thought of where this product could be used,” she said. Best of all, cheap garbage bags can be used, compared to the price of a Space Bag at $20, said Kendall-Storey.
Still, keeping up with demand proved difficult. The couple even enlisted the help of their children Tia, 7, and Tristen, 3, and Nick, 22, from Storey’s first marriage, to help them package their product, but remained overwhelmed. So, at the beginning of the year, they pulled back on their ads to re-think their goals. Kendal-Storey made arrangements through her father in Portland for a company to help manufacture their product and for another Oregon company to package it. Within the next month, they’ll receive their third order of approximately 10,000 pre-packaged products. “We have about $485,000 into it so far,” said Storey. “If it doesn’t work—we’re both getting jobs!” added Kendall-Storey.
The BagButton can be found at QFC/Kroeger, Bartell Drugs, Shurgard Storage, Urban Storage, Fort Lewis WA., Participating True Value Hardware’s, We have been accepted by Winn Dixie and are waiting for air time on Home Shopping Network, added Storey.
We are having trouble with companies trying to keep the BagButton from entering into the market, said Storey. The economical solution to the consumer that the BagButton inherently provides has and will prevail.
The company BagButton.com was formed in 1996, then received there certificate of formation as BagButton LLC. February 09, 2004 in Washington State. From 1996-2004 they went through the patent processes and several mold changes and entered into the market on March 29th 2004. They are into there second year of manufacturing and distribution and coming on strong. Larry Storey is available for interviews at (360) 939-2469
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An economical space saving and vacuum packing solution is hear.
This story was written by Kelly Ruhoff, Staff Reporter for Stanwood/Camano News, Washington State.
FAMILY INVENTORS SEE SUCCESS IN THE BAG
BagButton could become as familiar to homeowners, travelers, and hikers as Velcro, bungee cords, and duck tape did in the last quarter-of-a-century.
The idea developed out of desperation, but this innovative family hopes their money-saving gadget will also button up their independence. In 1997, Larry Storey and Heather Kendall-Storey, along with their two young children, began living in a leaky, old mobile home on eight acres near the inlet to Lake Ketchum in Stanwood, waiting for building permits to be approved from Snohomish County. “We fought the county for about five years,” explained Storey. Storey, 46, was left partially paralyzed on his left leg and completely on his left arm after a motorcycle accident 18 years ago, yet remained in the building trade. Meanwhile, the couple planted about 400 trees on their property to comply with environmental protection laws so they could build their home, while trying to save belongings in their rapidly-decaying home. “We just started losing everything”, said Storey. They attempted to preserve items in garbage bags, but moisture soon found its way inside, causing mildew to form.
Ads on TV for the Space Bag, a waterproof, airtight vacuum bag, caught their attention, but they were too expensive for the family—with the amount of bags they needed. So, the couple began brainstorming ideas on how to devise a cheaper alternative. They started with a lid from a five-gallon water bottle regularly delivered to their home. They used the lid as an o-ring, placing it on the opening to a garbage bag and fanning it out to make a bouquet. With the hose of a vacuum cleaner turned on, they placed it over the o-ring and saw the possibilities begin to take shape. It began sucking air out of the bag to make it smaller and airtight. “It worked really super,” said Storey. Several modifications later, accomplished even during the building of their two-story stucco home, they applied for a patent.
“The amount of engineering is absolutely phenomenal,” said Storey. Financed by three -mortgages on their home for the product’s development, manufacture and packaging, they began test marketing the BagButton on the World Wide Web last fall.
Big companies began vying for the product rights, but the financial arrangement would have left the family holding an empty bag, paying more to the State of Washington than what they would have made, said Storey. “To see what the public would actually pay, we got on auction sites and got as much as $20,” he said. “We sold about 1,000 last Fall.” They dropped the price to $14.95 and got their own Web site. With the help of banner ads, they began selling 200 a day. “They’re going like crazy,” said Storey. “It’s just amazing how it’s taken off.
The BagButton works ideally with a cheap vacuum, reducing a pillow to three-quarters-of-an-inch, said Storey. It also works well for sleeping bags, clothes, storage, and for efficient suitcase packing, said Kendall-Storey. “There are so many places we haven’t even thought of where this product could be used,” she said. Best of all, cheap garbage bags can be used, compared to the price of a Space Bag at $20, said Kendall-Storey.
Still, keeping up with demand proved difficult. The couple even enlisted the help of their children Tia, 7, and Tristen, 3, and Nick, 22, from Storey’s first marriage, to help them package their product, but remained overwhelmed. So, at the beginning of the year, they pulled back on their ads to re-think their goals. Kendal-Storey made arrangements through her father in Portland for a company to help manufacture their product and for another Oregon company to package it. Within the next month, they’ll receive their third order of approximately 10,000 pre-packaged products. “We have about $485,000 into it so far,” said Storey. “If it doesn’t work—we’re both getting jobs!” added Kendall-Storey.
The BagButton can be found at QFC/Kroeger, Bartell Drugs, Shurgard Storage, Urban Storage, Fort Lewis WA., Participating True Value Hardware’s, We have been accepted by Winn Dixie and are waiting for air time on Home Shopping Network, added Storey.
We are having trouble with companies trying to keep the BagButton from entering into the market, said Storey. The economical solution to the consumer that the BagButton inherently provides has and will prevail.
The company BagButton.com was formed in 1996, then received there certificate of formation as BagButton LLC. February 09, 2004 in Washington State. From 1996-2004 they went through the patent processes and several mold changes and entered into the market on March 29th 2004. They are into there second year of manufacturing and distribution and coming on strong. Larry Storey is available for interviews at (360) 939-2469
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