InstaTrim Covered in the Star Tribune
Inventor shares more of his entrepreneurial story, trials, and triumphs
Star Tribune Business Columnist Neal St. Anthony recently interviewed InstaTrim Inventor Greg Amundson and published an article in the Star Tribune on Saturday, March 17, 2018. The article highlights Greg’s story of invention and the journey he and wife Betsy took to achieve online sales success.
Neal St. Anthony is one of the most respected journalists in the Twin Cities and it’s an honor to be featured in his column. Neal chose the top highlights of the InstaTrim story for his article. We thought we would share some additional points of interest that may benefit entrepreneurs out there and/or readers who are interested in getting a few more details.
First, a little more back story….
Greg Amundson’s drive for invention began at age 14 when he harnessed solar energy by heating water with a piece of glass in the rays of the sun. Always a garage inventor, decades later, he hit the mark. Tired of seeing caulking that looked “like a monkey installed it,” Greg was determined to create an alternative that anyone could use and looked good every time.
Greg says coming up with the idea was easy. The challenge was finding a company to transform the idea into a product–without spending a fortune. Greg didn’t have a fortune, so in 2011, he turned to the Inspire Innovation Expo, where he placed his invention in front of manufacturers, investors, consumers, and the U.S. Trade Office. The response was positive. It was obvious he had something the public liked, wanted, and needed, but there was still a long way to go. Years of trial and error and sleepless nights followed, as Greg searched for an adhesive that would work in water and heat. He paid to have the product tested and he also put it front of several companies interested in licensing it–to no avail.
The turning point….
Greg met Betsy Berge, a seasoned marketing professional with an eye for design and experience at one of the top Twin Cities advertising firms – Fallon Worldwide. She brought her marketing and project management expertise into the business and it was a match made in heaven. Greg and Betsy became business partners and husband and wife.
It was Betsy’s idea to rebrand EasyCaulk as InstaTrim, to move away from negative connotations of caulk, and to become THE universal trim solution. It was a good move.
InstaTrim sales are soaring, Greg and Betsy are living happily ever after in Scandia, MN, proud to have their product in homes across the country. With a commitment to good marketing and customer service, they hope to be in even more homes soon.
