Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org
Surnames: Pasinski, Anderson, Ryerson, Risseuw, Manfredini
----Source: Banner Journal (Black River Falls, Jackson Co., WI) 9/23/2009
Award-Winning Inventor has Connections to Hatfield (Paint Glider - 2009)
Award-Winning Inventor has Connections to Hatfield
Tom Pasinski (center) held the second place plaque from The Wisconsin Innovation Service Center for his invention The Paint Glider™. Pasinski’s Hatfield neighbor, Tim Anderson (l) helped Pasinski find a company willing to work with him to market the invention. Also, in the photo is Pasinski’s father, Jerzy Pasinski. Submitted photo
Living in Hatfield proved to be a good business move for Tom Pasinski. In addition to being a good place for Pasinski and his parents to vacation, the popular Jackson County recreation area proved to be a place to make business connections.
Pasinski first began vacation in Hatfield with his parents, Jerzy and Janina, in 1968. The Pasinski family became residents of Hatfield when it purchased a cabin from Gil’s Resort owners, Elgin and Francis Ryerson, when they retired.
While a resident of Chicago, Pasinski had a business painting artistic finishes in residential homes. After priming a sizable number of walls using a conventional paint tray, Pasinski looked for an easier way to get a paint tray to follow him, gliding over drop cloths and thresholds without spilling. His efforts resulted in the creation of the Paint Glider™.
Samples of Pasinski’s invention came off the production line in 2007, and the cable-shopping network, QVC, put in an order to offer to a test market.
It was about this time, Pasinski began the process of looking for a licensor who could market the product nationwide. Initial proposals Pasinski received didn’t seem to meet his objectives.
In 2007, a Hatfield neighbor, Tim Anderson, noticed the unusual painting apparatus and how it made painting projects go more smoothly.
Anderson, who owns Deer Camp Antiques along with his wife Renee, told Pasinski his sister, Tammy Risseeuw, was a vice president for Alpha Plastics and Omega Products of Muskego.
Pasinski contacted Risseuw, and she agreed to introduce the invention to Omega products. In 2008, a licensing agreement was drawn up between the inventor and the producer.
The Paint Glider™ was tested earlier this year and received a 96-percent approval rating by the Handyman Club of America and was featured in the June/July issue of Handy Magazine.
Omega Products entered into a vendor agreement with Ace Hardware Corporation to sell the paint Glider™ in all its stores. On his “Mr. Fix-It” radio show and “House Smarts” television show ACE’s Spokesman, Lou Manfredini, known as “Mr. Fix-It,” endorsed the innovative product.
“If dad hadn’t brought us to Hatfield in 1968,” said Pasinski, “and I would not have met Tim and Tammy, the Paint Glider™ would not have made the most recent progress that it did with Omega products.”
The Paint Glider™ was awarded the grand prize in the nationwide invention contest conducted by Hammacher Schlemmer Institute. Pasinski’s invention was also awarded a second place by the Wisconsin Innovation Service Center and a gold medal from The Minnesota Inventor’s Congress.
The invention and a concept model Pasinski refers to as an environmentally friendly model will be displayed at the 2009 Ideas to Profits Conference to be held Thursday, Oct. 1, at Chula Vista Resort in the Wisconsin Dells.
Anyone wanting more information, can visit www.paintglider.com or www.wisc.uww/edi/odeas-conference.
