We recently connected with Ron Hesmer and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Ron thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
It was 2014 and I was about to embark on a 10-day boat charter in the British Virgin Islands. In preparation for the trip I purchased a rather expensive pair of Polarized Ray-Ban sunglasses. As soon as I boarded the boat it occurred to me that the windy passages, choppy dinghy rides and an abundance of rum…made for good odds of me losing my new shades overboard. Before setting out one morning, I channeled my inner “MacGyver” and fashioned a shoestring to a cork remnant from the previous evening’s wine fest. It wasn’t a masterpiece by any stretch. The rudimentary attachment to the temples looked like the work of a 3rd-grader. It was uncomfortable, too long and wasn’t buoyant enough to float my glasses. It was a complete failure… almost. While it didn’t prevent my glasses from sinking into the deep blue abyss, it did slow their descent. Having chased sinking sunglasses before, I knew how a precious few seconds could determine the costly fate of a brand new pair of Ray-Bans. Not quite deterred, I started scouring the local gift shops and island boutiques in search of a lanyard that had decent temple attachments and enough “line” to affix a wine cork. I purchased a couple of options and returned to the boat to continue working on the project. The end result looked pretty decent AND because the material was more buoyant shoe-string, it actually floated my sunglasses. Done. Nice job! (I thought to myself) … and then came the voices.
For the next 7 days, whenever we went exploring ashore or walked to a restaurant, I would hear passerby after passerby mentioning my lanyard. “Check out that wine cork.” they would say. “Hey, that’s cool! Where’d you get that?” My #1 fan and consummate support group (wife) would always pipe up and say: “He made it!” Truthfully, it ain’t rocket science and I wasn’t the first to “float” the idea of non-sinking sunglass straps, but there was something about the cork that got people’s attention…and that got me thinking.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I never knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. That’s likely why I became a jack of all trades…and master of none. I bussed tables, washed dishes, mowed lawns, worked construction, worked the night shift at a glass bottle factory, drove forklifts, worked tobacco auctions, drilled oil in the Gulf of Mexico, skippered crewboats for an oil company, worked as a deckhand on a yacht, managed a fast-food restaurant, bartended, waited tables, sold real estate and worked as medical devices rep. No matter the stage in my journey, I always seemed to carry two core observations: (1) They should’ve done (x, y, z) to make this product better. (2) Wish I’d thought of that. I’m no inventor, but I do possess an iota of creativity… just enough to chase an idea down the rabbit hole.
I once patented a golf-club carrier for automobiles. It was pretty cool in that it attached via the car’s trailer hitch and then easily detached to roll like luggage. It was a major undertaking and one that spotlighted my woefully deficient business acumen. When I was forced to fold the tent on that venture, I swore that if I ever sought to take another product to market, its physical size would be miniscule by comparison. The size and bulk of the golf-club carriers had created a myriad of costly issues: molds, manufacturing, samples, warehousing, packaging, shipping, retail space…and everything in between. So, by its stature alone, the idea of a floating eyewear retainer intrigued me.
It took almost a year to go from a “shoe-string” lanyard to the design of our present-day KORKZ. The first order of business was to replace the tether I had used in the BVI with vinyl-coated stainless steel cable. We then had to figure out how to drill the corks without destroying every other one. (Turns out a cylindrical rasp works 10x better than a fine drill bit.) Next, we needed to figure out how to put our name on the product. We started with ink (which didn’t adhere to cork very well) and eventually machined a metal stamp to a soldering iron…which worked well as a branding iron. Lastly, I dove into the world of wine corks in search of the most flawless and most buoyant corks available. — These progressions (and more) took months to refine and eventually culminated into: (1) A cable that had “Korkz.com” printed on one of its silicon temples (2) A slightly larger and higher grade cork (3) Laser engraving/software set up for custom engraving directly on the cork (4) Small zip bag packaging with the Korkz logo.
In a mild twist of expectation, prospective buyers (both retail and individual) were semi-enthused about a floating sunglass strap, but they really liked the cork…and they really loved the custom text. With the purchase of a laser engraver we were able to “burn” text and logos into each side of the cork. Having this capability meant that we could now personalize Korkz for individuals and customize Korkz for retailers. Human nature as it is, people have a fervent affinity for seeing their names (and their business name) on products. To spur this natural reaction, we would search for products that dovetailed with ours, then scrape company logos off their respective websites and insert the artwork into our engraver. We’d then package the “sample” with a cover letter and business card. Almost immediately after we began “branding” Korkz, the virtue of its sunglass-saving flotation took a backseat to its marketing potential. Soon thereafter we purchased a large capacity laser so that we could “brand” 100 corks at a time. Beach shops and resort boutiques became our main retailers, while our sales among online customers continued to grow with the increasing saturation of the market.
In a few short years, what began as a “lifesaver” for a new pair of Ray-Bans has evolved into a Korkz brand that ticks multiple boxes for success: Comfort, Performance, Uniqueness, Exposure, Customization and Marketing. Online customers appreciate the ease with which they can personalize (initials, nickname, boat name, favorite team, alma mater, etc..) their own Korkz. Retailers grasp the value of having their brand in clear view of the roving public. At this point in our venture, we are able to offer “Mom & Pop” quality control and real-time customer service.
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
I’m no businessman….and that’s been costly. I typically become enamored with the potential of an idea and overlook the myriad of pitfalls that can cripple the dream…and strip the coffers. I’m not a complete dolt, though…I’ve learned a painful lesson or two.
One of the things I’m most proud of in the birth of this Korkz business has been the minimal start-up costs. As previously noted, I wanted to avoid the expense of molds, warehousing and manufacturing equipment. We accomplished this with relatively cheap components (corks & cables) and minimal outlay for assembly (drill press & laser engraver). Yes, we’ve procured larger and more advanced machinery since our inception, but we started with just a few hundred dollars investment and we’ve made it a priority to strictly scrutinize our inventory on hand. Our profit margins are excellent. We use contract labor to address the ebb and flow of seasonal sales. Our packaging is now paper instead of plastic. And we’re growing… from our first order (local surf shop / dozen units for $60) — to our recent partnership with Sandals Resorts International…we’re still evolving as a company. We’re still trying to find the most favorable course of action. Do we concentrate on the high-profit revenue of online commerce; or do we push our brand recognition with lower margins and wider exposure? Is our niche nautical themed or vineyard based? Are we in the eyewear industry? Do we pursue sports licensing? Do we increase our marketing commitment? Do we attend trade-shows? Do we expand our line to include other cork products? Do we seek a buyer for our business? Or do we remain as nimble as possible and preserve our creative freedom and control? — Despite these queries, options and potential pitfalls, the fact remains that if we had to shutter this business today we could do so without a loss. That’s the direct result of how little capital we originally invested and how well we have monitored our running costs since.
Again, I’m no businessman. These are just basic tenets of manufacturing that others instinctively grasp and I, conversely, still suffer to attain.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
We’ve only scratched the surface of our market, but our growth has been steady. I attribute this growth to our personal oversight. When a customer reaches out to us, that call / email comes directly to me or my wife. We oversee every single Korkz before it’s shipped. I once met a man standing on a beach in the Bahamas and he was wearing a Korkz. I asked him where he got it and he said he ordered it directly from the company. I oversaw that order…may have even assembled it myself. I couldn’t recall the exact design or the customer’s name, but I swelled with a bit of pride in knowing that particular Korkz was doing what it was designed to do: Meet the expectations of its owner…and spreading the Korkz brand through public exposure.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.korkz.com
- Instagram: @korkzcrew
- Facebook: Korkzcrewchronicals
- Linkedin: Ron Hesmer