Chris Schutte, inventor of the Hotdog Ezbun Steamer and the Steamie, is standing in the garage of his Suwanee home, pondering his future. He gazes at hundreds of cardboard boxes around him which he, his wife and his mother are painstakingly packing with food steaming kits for shipment to QVC where he hopes to sell them.
He says, “If you had told me three and a half years ago when I got laid off that I’d have a signed licensing deal, been on QVC repeatedly, gotten on a national TV commercial, been named inventor of the year and creator of the best new infomercial product ... and be $200,000 in debt and wondering whether I’m going to be living in one of these boxes ...
“It’s unbelievable to me that we’ve had these kinds of accomplishments but haven’t yet seen the financial rewards.”
Independent inventors never have it easy. Only a tiny percentage make it. Schutte, observers say, is unusual because he’s had several major successes but has yet to make a profit.
“He’s had so many highs and lows,” said Ron Reardon, founder of Patents & More, and patent agent for Schutte. “Just when it looks like victory is within his grasp, something would happen.”
The QVC order for 4,100 units represents what might be the 50-year-old Schutte’s last shot at full-time pursuit of the quest he undertook after losing his sales management job. If they don’t sell, it’ll be time to find a job with benefits.
“Everything’s in the middle of the table,” he said. “It’s make it or break it.”
Schutte’s sold 10,000 units of his product, which allows easy steam cooking of everything from hot dog buns to lobster tails.
He thought it would be more, with the exposure he’s gotten from a LegalZoom TV spot and multiple pitches on QVC. What seemed his biggest coup was a licensing deal to sell his Steamie, the latest addition to his product line. The deal fell through when another company hit the market first with a similar product.
“It was absolutely devastating,” he said. “An inventor’s worst nightmare.”
Schutte’s wife, Janay, lost her job as an office manager for a dentist last fall, causing the couple to lean more on family, friends and a few investors.
Still, “I support him 100 percent,” she said. “ I think it’s going to be worth it in the long run.”
“It’s a heartbreak story,” Schutte said. “But it could still have a happy ending.”
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