One year after two Waukesha County inventors unveiled their products on the ABC network television series, “American Inventor,” they are the first of the Top 24 to take their products to market.
Jodi Pliszka, a Muskego resident and creator of HeadLineIt!, a disposable liner for wigs, helmets and hats made out of wicking material, made it to the Top 12 finalists and received $50,000 for product development.
Pat Rock, Delafield-based developer of Take-A-Seat, a three-in-one tailgate seat, cargo carrier and bike rack, made it to the Top 24 before going home without any funds for product development.
Both Pliszka and Rock are in final prototype approvals and will begin manufacturing their products this summer.
Pliszka has received national attention for HeadLineIt!, both because of her Top 12 status on the television show, and because of the heartwarming story behind her invention. About 20 years ago, Pliszka lost all of her hair to alopecia autoimmune disorder. She came up with the idea for HeadLineIt! when she needed a material under her wigs to absorb oils and perspiration when she was participating in athletics.
Since the inserts are fitted for wigs for medical purposes including alopecia, cancer and surgical patients, Pliszka found multiple other markets HeadLineIt! could aid for athletic purposes. Since the television show, she has been speaking with hockey teams, baseball teams, fire departments, the U.S. Army and NASCAR.
Pliszka also has partnered with Ken Paves, a celebrity hairdresser who donates wigs to cancer patients, to offer a HeadLineIt! in every wig donated, Pliszka said.
So far, Pliszka has spent $300,000 of her own funds to produce the first 500,000 liners that will be for sale on her Web site, www.HeadLineIt.net, this month.
Pliszka has hired a senior sales representative who deals with major retail chains, including Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart Stores Inc.; Minneapolis, Minn.-based Target Corp.; and Denton, Texas-based Sally Beauty Holdings Inc., owner of Sally Beauty Supply.
Each HeadLineIt! liner can be used for up to one week. The liners will come in packages of 10 and have a retail price tag between $10.99 and $12.99, Pliszka said.
“I lost my hair, and God has taken me on a journey to become a therapist, author, inventor and spokesperson,” Pliszka said.
The Take-A-Seat product owned by Rock and his wife Vickie has gone on a similar journey as HeadLineIt!, Rock said.
Camp Chef, a Logan, Utah-based manufacturer of outdoor cooking products and accessories, will manufacture Take-A-Seat.
Rock is planning to have the final prototype approved by June 1 and will spend the summer selling Take-A-Seat one-on-one at football and baseball games and other outdoor tailgating events in Wisconsin, he said.
“It’s the best way to start off,” Rock said. “We want to tell our story while trying to find the market. I want to be selling and showing my product to people as the inventor, not the distributor.”
By August, Rock plans to have an e-commerce Web site completed with secure payment options so customers can buy Take-A-Seat directly from his Web site, www.TheTakeASeat.com, or through catalog and distribution networks. After the product is in the market, Rock hopes to distribute through retail stores for outdoor enthusiasts and possibly as an after-market accessory at truck and auto dealerships.
The retail price will be between $299.95 and $325.99, the device will be available with a black or yellow frame and a choice of fabric color, including black, crimson red, hunter green, navy, blaze orange and camouflage, Rock said.
The Fox Sports Network will publish a Fox Sports Tailgating Handbook this summer, and Take-A-Seat will be one of the featured products.
Although Pliszka and Rock both auditioned for American Inventor in Chicago, they did not meet until they were in Hollywood, Pliszka said. Realizing that they lived only a 20-minute drive from each other, Pliszka and Rock said they made a pact that they would continue to help and support each other anyway they could.
