Attention all soccer moms and sports fans! My friend Kelly’s husband developed a really cool product you’ll want to know about! Whether it’s rain, sleet, snow, or the steamy-hot sun – this new invention will keep you out of it when you’re on the sidelines. The product is called “Under the Weather” – it’s water resistant, wind proof up to 38 mph, has SPF 50 Sun protection, and – like I mentioned – it was created by a local inventor! Now, he needs your help!
Thanks to a program called “Get on the Shelf,” Walmart is letting local entrepreneurs share their stories, let their products shine…. and the best one gets on the shelves of Wal-Mart along with a bunch of business advice and support! Check out the press release below to learn all about the “Under the Weather” product, the Wal-Mart “Get on the Shelf” Contest and watch a video to see how the product works! CLICK HERE to vote! Tell your friends!
Local Entrepreneur’s Invention Featured in Walmart’s “Get on the Shelf” National Contest
Soccer Dad Inventor Looking for Cincinnati’s Support, Votes
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Local entrepreneur and native Cincinnati resident, Rick Pescovitz, is hoping for as many votes as he can muster in order to get his invention, Under the Weather, a shelter for inclement weather, on shelves at Walmart stores nationwide. After years of refining the design and materials, Pescovitz just last month filled a warehouse with the final product ready to be shipped. “The timing of this contest was uncanny,” says Pescovitz. “We began talking strategy for bringing this product to market just a few months ago and when we saw an article about this contest, we couldn’t help but think it was meant to be,” he adds.
The contest, hosted by Walmart, is called “get on the shelf” and winners are selected based upon the total number of votes their product receives. Voting begins March 7th and runs through April 3rd. Winners get featured placement on Walmart.com, valuable marketing support, advice on scaling up… and, most important, a spot on Walmart store shelves
To vote, consumers can go to: http://www.getontheshelf.com/product/5087/Under-The-Weather. The “get on the shelf” contest is based upon votes. The product with the most votes wins. Pescovitz needs hometown support because every vote counts.
Pescovitz spent three years developing this product because he– along with his wife and all of the other soccer moms and dads– was tired of standing outside in the cold, wind, rain, snow and sleet to watch their kids play soccer. In fact, he says it was conceived after a brisk soccer tournament in Richmond, Virginia. On the drive home he did a simple sketch based upon the shape and size of a port-o-let. “The parents spent the weekend joking around about warming up in the port-o-lets and that is what sparked the idea,” he adds.
The product, a small tent large enough for a soccer chair or two small stools, is fully enclosable and sees through. It has a Polyurethane floor and Clear PVC windows and is highly water resistant and wind proof up to 38 mph, making the inside conditions up to 30 degrees warmer than the outside in cold weather. It is also lightweight and portable, folding into a circular carry bag 23” in diameter, weighing only 6 lbs. In addition to cold weather protection, it also provides SPF 50 Sun protection. “A lot of people like the fact that you can get sun protection without having to hold an umbrella and because it is self enclosed, it’s really good for babies and toddlers, also,” adds Pescovitz.
Pescovitz has decades of manufacturing and importing experience having worked a promotional product company for almost 25 years. “Knowing about fabrics, specifications and having the contacts in place to convert my sketches into product was extremely helpful,” he says. Of course, having three kids competing at the club soccer level also provided him with ample opportunity to “consumer test” the product, as well. “We have been through around seven different versions, making suggested improvements each time and we are confident the final product is excellent,” says Pescovitz. “This past weekend my wife was in St. Louis in 30 degree, heavy wind weather conditions and I was in Cincinnati watching the games in the snow… While it is nice to stay warm, the other upside now is that we sell a bunch of tents in this weather,” says Pescovitz.
Owners of the tent agree. “I just used my new sports tent all weekend, through wind, rain, cold, and sun, and I just love it… I’m a ‘grama lady’ and supposed to stay out of the sun so I will also be using it all summer to help keep the UV rays off of me. My husband and I (together) can easily manage to fold it up… It is lightweight enough for me to carry myself… Great idea,” says Michele Baker from Cleveland, Ohio. Baker saw Pescovitz in the tent in a tournament in Dayton, Ohio before the final rendition was developed and was one of the first to purchase the product.
Tents are available in red, yellow and blue. Under the Weather also comes standard with an additional roof that can be decorated with team logos. Tents cost $69.95.
For additional detail about Under the Weather and to purchase the tents, visit www.under-the-weather.com. Links below highlight demonstrations of how the tent is put up, folded, and stored:
http://www.under-the-weather.com/video/setup.php
http://www.under-the-weather.com/video/windrain.php
http://www.under-the-weather.com/video/sun.php
About Rick Pescovitz
Rick Pescovitz knows a little about starting a company and product development. Nearly 25 years ago he started Professional Image Apparel, a uniform company in Cincinnati, Ohio. Rick is the father of three soccer players. His oldest son, Max, graduates this spring from Walnut Hills High School. He played for Cincinnati United Premier and was the 2011-2012 Southwest Ohio Player of the Year. Madeleine, 16, plays for Ohio Elite in the ECNL league traveling nationwide throughout the year and is a sophomore at St. Ursula. Anna, 12, is also at Ohio Elite and travels regionally. Rick and his wife collectively have long lost count of the number of games for which they have withstood, rain, hail, sleet, snow and severe winds. Rick’s wife, Kelly, has just one regret about the tents and that is that it wasn’t invented twelve years ago when they attended their first soccer game as parents.
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