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GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — Don't underestimate the power of a blogger.
Tattler Reusable Canning Jar Lids advertises in traditional, and logical places like “Mother Earth News” and “Backwoods Home” magazines, and the “Old Farmers Almanac” which have all contributed to the success of the small start-up business, but bloggers from all over the country and Canada who have bought Brad Stieg's product are blogging about it for free.
“They're advertising for us,” Stieg said. “It lends credibility to the product, third parties (recommending) it.”
Stieg's father Loren, a tool and dye maker from Michigan, invented the plastic reusable canning lids in 1976, during a metal canning lid shortage. After the metal lids made a come-back, the plastic lid business languished, said the younger Stieg.
But Loren Stieg never gave up the idea of selling his product, and in February 2010, father and son formed a partnership and started making the lids again.
“It's been wildly successful so far,” Brad Stieg said. “We sold 10 times what we expected” in the first year.
“Every month we sell more than the last.”
Tuesday, Stieg, 44, was frantically preparing boxes of canning lids for shipping at his office located at the Grand Junction Business Incubator Center. The lids are manufactured in Michigan from where Loren Stieg ships bulk orders. The business plans to manufacture lids in Grand Junction as well.
Stieg was already experienced in manufacturing and distribution, and had his business up and running before he contacted the Incubator. Stieg rents an office and shipping area at the Incubator campus, 2591, B 3/4 Road — reasonable rental rates are one of many services offered to fledgling Mesa County businesses at the Incubator.
“I was doing it all from my home and it was just too much,” Stieg said.
The company employs three part-time workers, besides Stieg and his wife who work full-time for the business.
The advantage of plastic over metal canning lids is that plastic lids are reusable, Stieg said. The metal ones are not designed for reuse, he said.
The plastic used is BPA-free, and approved by the Food and Drug Administration for direct food contact, Stieg said.
A photograph of Stieg's grandmother standing next to shelves full of food items she canned using her son Loren's plastic canning lids helped convince Stieg to get into the business, he said.
“It was a testament to the product,” he said.
Stieg and his wife, Serena, also took up canning.
“We started canning all kinds of stuff,” Stieg said. “We figured we better learn how to can. We wanted to be able to answer questions” from customers.
Tattler Reusable Canning Jar Lids is primarily an Internet, mail order-based business. The lids are also available, however, at Co-op Country in Fruita and Ace Hardware in Delta.
For more information visit www.reusablecanninglids.com or call (970) 255-7011.
Tattler Reusable Canning Jar Lids advertises in traditional, and logical places like “Mother Earth News” and “Backwoods Home” magazines, and the “Old Farmers Almanac” which have all contributed to the success of the small start-up business, but bloggers from all over the country and Canada who have bought Brad Stieg's product are blogging about it for free.
“They're advertising for us,” Stieg said. “It lends credibility to the product, third parties (recommending) it.”
Stieg's father Loren, a tool and dye maker from Michigan, invented the plastic reusable canning lids in 1976, during a metal canning lid shortage. After the metal lids made a come-back, the plastic lid business languished, said the younger Stieg.
But Loren Stieg never gave up the idea of selling his product, and in February 2010, father and son formed a partnership and started making the lids again.
“It's been wildly successful so far,” Brad Stieg said. “We sold 10 times what we expected” in the first year.
“Every month we sell more than the last.”
Tuesday, Stieg, 44, was frantically preparing boxes of canning lids for shipping at his office located at the Grand Junction Business Incubator Center. The lids are manufactured in Michigan from where Loren Stieg ships bulk orders. The business plans to manufacture lids in Grand Junction as well.
Stieg was already experienced in manufacturing and distribution, and had his business up and running before he contacted the Incubator. Stieg rents an office and shipping area at the Incubator campus, 2591, B 3/4 Road — reasonable rental rates are one of many services offered to fledgling Mesa County businesses at the Incubator.
“I was doing it all from my home and it was just too much,” Stieg said.
The company employs three part-time workers, besides Stieg and his wife who work full-time for the business.
The advantage of plastic over metal canning lids is that plastic lids are reusable, Stieg said. The metal ones are not designed for reuse, he said.
The plastic used is BPA-free, and approved by the Food and Drug Administration for direct food contact, Stieg said.
A photograph of Stieg's grandmother standing next to shelves full of food items she canned using her son Loren's plastic canning lids helped convince Stieg to get into the business, he said.
“It was a testament to the product,” he said.
Stieg and his wife, Serena, also took up canning.
“We started canning all kinds of stuff,” Stieg said. “We figured we better learn how to can. We wanted to be able to answer questions” from customers.
Tattler Reusable Canning Jar Lids is primarily an Internet, mail order-based business. The lids are also available, however, at Co-op Country in Fruita and Ace Hardware in Delta.
For more information visit www.reusablecanninglids.com or call (970) 255-7011.
