Inventors jam initial session at Valley Plaza Hotel. 150 Attendees Cram Bay County Session of Mid-Michigan Inventors Group
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Who says there's no market for a "beer can" chicken cooker?
Don't tell that to Tom Simon, who sold 25,000 of his "Poultry Pal" devices, made out of an angel food cake pan and a perforated top he put together in his basement, for $19.95 a copy.
People all over the world now are steaming chickens, ducks and turkeys from the inside out using Simon's invention."
Simon was the highlight of the initial Mid-Michigan Inventors Group meeting at the Valley Plaza last Wednesday night, a session put together by Don Schutt of the Mid Michigan Innovation Center, Harry Leaver of Saginaw Valley State University, and Christine Greve of the Small Business Center at Delta College.
"The Mid Michigan Inventors Group is a hotbed of muttering doodlers; members hail from all over mid-Michigan and beyond," says Schutt. "We just do, and we're proud of it."
Schutt, of Bay City, has sterling credentials to help spark innovation, having been one of the developers of the Concentric Internet service provider and an early force behind the Michigan Virtual University.
Obviously, the sponsors were as shocked as the presenters, who had expected 25-50 to attend but faced a room full of nearly 150 eager listeners.
The Inventors Group is launched in a big way, with meetings set March 28 and April 25, both at the Valley Plaza, 6-8 p.m. "Except for an occasional "field trip" to a local business, the group meets on the last Wednesday of each month at the Valley Plaza Resort in Midland.
Brent Case, of the Mid Michigan Innovation Center, explained that the session was designed to "bring together creative people with the interest and ability to make new products," and help them "market their inventions, protect their ideas and be introduced to local resources that can help turn ideas into marketable products."
Attorney Bob McKellar, Saginaw, of McKellar IP (Intellectual Property) Law, PLLC, was the feature presentation, giving inventors tips on avoiding scams and dealing with legal issues so important in this area.
John Brock, who invented a diagnostic sensor for automobiles, told of the perils of breaking into the auto repair field. He has sold about 1,000 of the $395 devices and feels he is poised to strike to the market even though "it's a hard sell." His sensor is said to diagnose the ills of a vehicle's engine in five minutes.
McKellar's main advice: "Don't try to do patents and trademarks on your own." And don't fall for the TV scams that try to lure inventors. One guy at the meeting told of pouring $9,000 into such a scam before he got wise.###
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