Small Business Stories - Pittman Products

Alex Fees: I’m Alex Fees with sbtv.com. We are coming to you from the floor of the Las Vegas convention center at SEMA 2007, that’s Specialty Equipment Market Association. And joining me here now is Pat Sexton. Pat is a partner of a company that makes—this is scale model version of his product. These are airbeds. And you guys are located in southern California, Pat correct? Pat Sexton: That’s correct. Yes, sir. Alex Fees: Let me see this thing. Pat Sexton: All right! Alex Fees: So, this goes onto bed of the pick up truck, right? Pat Sexton: That’s correct. Alex Fees: That would explain this things right here. Pat Sexton: That’s correct. Alex Fees: Truck air beds, a bed literally to sleep on. Pat Sexton: To sleep, play on. Alex Fees: Yeah. Pat Sexton: Whatever! It’s also versatile because you can take it out of the truck, we have inserts for it that you can lay it on the beach or in the woods or whatever and still have the support in the side where the wheel could normally go. Alex Fees: Okay, where does this idea come from? Pat Sexton: Well, it’s something my partner Jim Pitman came out with by Matthew been out on the lake. Alex Fees: Really? Pat Sexton: He went on to sleep on that pick up truck and found out that a regular air matches wouldn’t fit in there, roll them into the middle. Alex Fees: And you certainly don’t want to sleep on the bare bed of the pick up truck? Pat Sexton: No. Alex Fees: Okay! Pat Sexton: So, he said, “Well, if we had something designed with the wheel cut outs around it then that would be an ideal situation. Alex Fees: Yeah. Pat Sexton: It take on the patterns on it, there was anything out there. So, he said to his lawyer, “I need to get a patent on this.” And that’s what he did. Alex Fees: And how long ago was that? How long ago is the process of? Pat Sexton: Well, the process it will depend. It was probably a couple of years on that. We’ve been working on this version on for about three years now. Alex Fees: Really. Pat Sexton: And we’re going to market this coming January. Alex Fees: And? Pat Sexton: We’ll have our product in states. Alex Fees: In what capacity? Just through a website or you guys register with a— Pat Sexton: Through the website and we’ll be with a warehouse distributors and the—throughout the country we’re going to be on dealership, automotive dealership and actually it’s a pick up truck areas of it. But your trip specialty shop, your accessory shop all dealing with pick up trucks. Alex Fees: Yeah. So Pat, this is kind of a—this is an item for outdoors people. Pat Sexton: Yes sir, 100% outdoors but it is usable indoor. Alex Fees: Sure! Oh, really? Pat Sexton: Yes. Alex Fees: Okay. Pat Sexton: You can put the inserts in it, lay it on your floor for you’ve got extra company and you didn’t have a bed available for them, “Oh, I’ve got my pick up truck airbed” and went out get it stick the inserts in. They’ve got a nice comfortable mattress to sleep on. Alex Fees: And then you can pretend you’re sleeping under the stars? Pat Sexton: Yes. Alex Fees: So Pat, what about SEMA 2007? Have you guys been at this event before with this product? Pat Sexton: Yes sir we had an earlier version of it and we found out we needed to do a little more research and development and we come out with a more rugged durable unit as you can see this is polyester PBC blend I supposed to just a PBC. Alex Fees: And this is the material that— Pat Sexton: Is going to be right here. This is the actual material. It’s the scale down version. It will also—as you see on the end here we’ve got a picture of the way the process and that’s this built in pump. Alex Fees: Oh, okay! So, this is the air pump? Pat Sexton: That’s the pump. Alex Fees: I see. Pat Sexton: So, built in pump. You pull it out, and you blow it up. Alex Fees: So, there you go. Pat Sexton: Push it in, search it off. Alex Fees: How long it should take? Pat Sexton: Less than two minutes. Alex Fees: Really? Wow! Pat Sexton: So, you could take it out of the bag, put it in the truck, blow it up in two minutes. Alex Fees: And you’re good to go. Pat Sexton: And deflate it. You open this release valve, big hole in that, it completely deflates in about a minute. Alex Fees: Oh, very interesting! So, when you come to SEMA—when you come to an event like SEMA, are you teaching this to companies here or you just making contacts? What? Pat Sexton: We are not only teaching this to not only the distributors and all that are here. The manufactures that took manufactures we had several coming by, we’re going to be putting in the dealerships and all. And actually you make your distributors, your outdoor places like—things like that. Alex Fees: Right! Yeah! Pat Sexton: We’re trying on being in there. And just also we’re going to be doing direct sales over the internet. And to say with our start up company, we’re going to go all avenues until we get more defined in what we’re going to be like. Alex Fees: Sure. Pat Sexton: We want a little bit of direction in get that direction. You got to go out on all the avenues. Alex Fees: Okay! You direct sales over the internet. Pat, where were would people go to make—get more information or to make a purchase? Pat Sexton: Okay! They can go to www.truckairbedz.com. Alex Fees: Alright again that’s truckairbedz.com. Pat Sexton, Pat have we covered it all here? Is there anything I’m missing? How much this I can go for? Pat Sexton: It’s going to be around $149.00 to $169.00 retail. Alex Fees: Really? I would think a bargain, it’s wise the price. I would have estimated a lot more money. Pat Sexton: We can double it as we speak. Alex Fees: Well, thank you Pat. But I appreciate that offer. Pat Sexton: Thank you so much. Alex Fees: Alright, that’s Pat Sexton. He’s with the company that makes truck air beds in the Southern California. I’m Alex Fees, you’re watching sbtv.com.