The Genius of Cape Coral

The Genius of Cape Coral

entrepreneurs by Jean Gruss | Editor/Lee-Collier

A Southwest Florida man came up with an ingenious device to make an oil change less messy. Then a competitor almost sidelined him.

Stan Jerantowski thought he'd made it big.

In 2004, he had invented and patented a simple device that makes it easier to change an oil filter without spilling the liquid on the ground or inside a boat bilge.

For his invention, Jerantowski was dubbed "the genius of Cape Coral" by Power & Motor Yachts magazine in the August 2004 edition.

After that article appeared, Jerantowski received a call from a large global distributor who wanted exclusive rights to distribute the Filterglove. He declines to name the distributor because of an ongoing business relationship.

Jerantowski was elated. A global distributor would likely mean a financial windfall for the general contractor who lives on a canal in Cape Coral. He signed an agreement with the distributor in early 2005 and shut down his Web page.

But six months went by and the distributor didn't place a single order. As it turns out, the distributor had a competing product and Jerantowski suspects the agreement was a way to keep his product off the shelves.

Unfortunately, the contract they had signed never required the distributor to buy a minimum number. "That was a mistake of mine," Jerantowski acknowledges.

After he threatened to sue, Jerantowski and the distributor agreed to revise the contract and eliminate the exclusivity arrangement. Although he had lost valuable time, he learned a valuable yet simple lesson: Read every contract carefully and don't assume your attorney will get it right.

The annoying drips of life

A native of Chicago, Jerantowski has been a commercial general contractor in Southwest Florida for more than two decades. A hands-on person, he performed all the maintenance on the 30-foot, twin-engine powerboat that was parked in the canal behind his home in Cape Coral.

One of the most irksome tasks of boat maintenance is changing the oil filter and making sure none of it drips into the bilge. A friend advised him to use a plastic bag and a mitt to prevent getting scalded. "You're supposed to do it while it's hot," he says.

There had to be a better way to handle the messy task. So Jerantowski invented the Filterglove. Initially made out of PVC pipe, it's a hard-plastic container that fits easily over any oil filter. The Filterglove's grooves snag the filter so it twists off easily and oil drips into the container instead of on the ground or in the bilge. It will fit on virtually any filter, from cars to boats.

Initially, Jerantowski made the Filterglove for his own use. "Then a friend of mine wanted one," he says. Word spread and another friend suggested he obtain a patent on his invention. "In 2006, I got my patent number," Jerantowski says.

In the meantime, while his patent was pending, Jerantowski got publicity in boating magazines and started a Web site, Filterglove.com, to sell his invention. His slogan: "Catches the annoying drips of life."

All this publicity attracted the global distributor, which turned out to be a competitor. The distributor told Jerantowski that they estimated sales could reach $15 million a year. In early 2005, Jerantowski eagerly signed a contract without stipulating a minimum order. "I would have asked for a minimum order of 100,000," Jerantowski says looking back.

It turns out the distributor also sold oil-absorbing sponges that suck up oil in bilges. Jerantowski suspects the distributor simply wanted to keep Filterglove off the market.

Reboot the Web site

After renegotiating the contract with the distributor and removing the exclusivity clause, Jerantowski set to work rebuilding sales. He rebooted Filterglove.com and signed a deal with Entrepreneurial Sales & Marketing, an Illinois company that specializes in helping inventors market and sell their products.

Jerantowski declines to spell out the details of the deal with the marketing company but says they get a percentage of sales and a minority ownership of the business once certain sales goals are reached. Jerantowski is happy to share in the success of his business: "If he makes me a million dollars, I'll make him a million dollars."

Diemold Machine Co. in Fort Myers makes the Filterglove. Jerantowski says the cost is very competitive and going overseas for production isn't an advantage after you consider transportation costs and the time spent getting your product through customs.

Jerantowski, 64, estimates he's spent as much as $15,000 and "a lot of time" in developing his idea. "I even went through a divorce and had to buy my wife out," he says.

Last month, Jerantowski sold 4,000 Filtergloves. The retail price is $9.99. "I'd like to sell 10,000 a month and I think it's reasonable," he says.

Once sales increase, Jerantowski has his sights set on other things. "I've got other inventions," he hints, declining to elaborate. And no, they have nothing to do with an oil change.

He's hoping his daughter, Sherri Reynolds, gets interested in taking over the business. She helps him part-time with the shipping. "I want my daughter or someone else to buy it," he says.

Business tips

for inventors

Stan Jerantoswki has spent three years perfecting and selling the Filterglove, his invention that makes changing an oil filter less messy. Here are the lessons he's learned:

• Don't assume you'll have the same experiences as other inventors. Educate yourself on all aspects of your business.

• Have an open mind. Listen to everyone, even if what they say sounds crazy. You may find a nugget of information you can use later.

• Join an inventor's club. Groups such as the Edison Inventors Association in Fort Myers (www.edisoninventors.org) hold regular meetings where you can learn from the experiences of others.

• Get a financial partner because financing an invention can put a strain on you. Do it even if it means giving up some control over your company.

• Be very leery of anyone who demands cash up front to advertise or market your invention. Research complaints against them. Anyone who wants to promote your invention needs to be invested in your business.

• Be flexible and be ready to change course. If you see another direction for your invention, follow it.

• It's not necessarily cheaper in China. Once you take into account the cost of transportation and the hassles of customs, the cost to manufacture your product in China could be higher than in the U.S.

• Read every word of every contract. Know what's in there and don't assume that your attorney will get it right.

• Scrutinize every bill. If you don't, you'll get overcharged.

-Jean Gruss

REVIEW SUMMARY

Entrepreneur. Stan Jerantowski

Invention. Filterglove

Key. Be leery of anyone who promises you riches for your invention.