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The winds of change were in the air. Five years ago, Steve Asman, of Long Island, N.Y., climbed up, strapped himself securely to the sunroof of his Toyota 4-Runner, and said the word. From one end of the parking lot to the other, as the car's speed increased, he held on tight. All to make a point. He believed he had created the strongest umbrella in the world, and he was going to prove it -- first to himself, then to the rest of us.
Asman was a real estate agent back in 1995 when the market hit an all time low. Houses were not selling, and he was looking to make a career change. He happened to be present one day when his father, a retired CPA, received a visit from a lawyer friend and his client, an inventor with some serious tax issues, who needed advice.
One conversation led to another as Stanley Hochfeld explained his invention, an umbrella that could withstand high winds without turning inside out. Asman understood the concept. Just as a plumbing check valve alleviates the pressure if a boiler is about to explode, Hochfeld's dual canopy umbrella was designed to relieve wind pressure so it wouldn't flip inside out. The product wasn't selling well, however. "It was put together in a hodge-podge way," says Asman. "It was obvious that not enough research had gone into it. The frame wasn't flexible or strong enough. The elastic holding the two tiers together was not properly secured, and holes in the nylon allowed rain to seep through. I could see what had made the project fail and was curious about what changes might make the umbrella perform better."
With his father's financial backing, Asman licensed the patent from Hochfeld and his two co-inventors. A year later he bought Hochfeld out and the second co-inventor died. The third, patent attorney Len Holtz, (Frishauf, Holtz, Goodman Longer & Chick, N.Y., N.Y.), was willing to talk. "Today, we are both very happy with the agreement we made," Asman says. "He gives me free legal advice and I send him a royalty check every quarter in exchange for the freedom to do as I see fit with the product."
From his vantage point on the hood of his car, Asman was braced for success. He was sure his umbrella would stand up to the changes he had made in the year since he bought the patent. He had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on prototypes that didn't make the grade. The final, hand-made umbrella was structurally sound -- its two vented tiers attached with the finest quality elastic secured to eliminate the potential for seepage. Fiberglass spreader rods connected by a specially patented "silver wing" gave it strength but flexibility. Asman knew he had designed the world's first unflippable, unflappable, unleakable umbrella and was ready to test its resilience against that of a regular umbrella that can withstand winds of 15-20 miles per hour. And it worked.
The GustBuster® stood firm against 55 mile per hour winds and set the media aflutter. Everyone from CNN to the New York Times and the Fox News channel wanted the scoop, and Asman's competition wasn't happy. They tried to deter his success, undermine his credibility and create knockoff products that infringed on his patents. Lawsuits followed, but Asman fought back with the strength of his product behind him. He hired the College of Aeronautics at LaGuardia Airport in New York to perform professional wind tunnel testing. In addition, he incorporated a powerful fan into a specially modified van, drove up and down city streets and invited the media to witness, first hand, the benefits of his umbrella.
People took notice. Business soared. Professional golfers, including Arnold Palmer, chose it above all other umbrellas on the course. The entire golfing industry, which plays rain or shine, began to take cover under the GustBuster's name. It wasn't surprising to Asman that, when he was looking for investment money to increase the product line, the Mennen family bought in as a 20 percent equity partner.
Seven years since his initial meeting with Stanley Hochfeld, Asman has few regrets. "I work 11 hours a day and have gained 85 lbs., but it feels really good to see the results of my hard work." He credits the financial support he received from his family as key to his initial success. "It takes a lot of money to start a business," he says. "Make sure you start slow. Don't over order because there WILL be problems with your product, or immediate changes or improvements you would like to make before it gets on the market. You have to be willing to work long hours and do whatever it takes to make your customers [retailers] look good to their customers. The biggest problem I see is that inventors fall in love with their product. They think everyone should fall in love with it, too. People don't understand how much money it takes to actually bring a product to market. My strong suggestion is that sometimes it's better to license or sell your patent to a company with strong connections in a particular industry." Asman's connections may stand him in good stead today as he faces the challenge of adding a completely new product to his line.
Because it's impossible to stabilize weather patterns, umbrella sales are inevitably subject to drought. Although he had rainy days covered, Asman determined that he needed to fill the sunny day niche. In January of this year he introduced the "SunBuster," patent pending sunglasses with interchangeable lenses designed for different types of outside activities. In order to make them comfortable for a wide variety of head shapes, another patent pending component was incorporated, a bendable, spring-like piece that sits on the temple called the "x-stopper." "I asked a lot of questions," Asman says, "did research, went to trade shows and made contacts. Originally I was going to buy stock glasses, but in the end, I had them manufactured myself." Standing behind the notoriety of the GustBuster name, Asman is sure his glasses will be received with enthusiasm and, ultimately, achieve commercial success.
Steve Asman knows how to sell his products, given any type of weather. Not even the strongest of winds could weaken his resolve. "Rain or shine," he says with a chuckle, "I've got it covered."
WANT ONE? Gustbusters sell for $24.95-$120, depending on the model. For more information, visit www.gustbuster.com or call 1-888-Gustbuster.
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