Spill Magic, Inc. the manufacturer of Spill Magic absorbents and related products was founded by David Wampler in March 1995.
It sells absorbents as a safety product to prevent slip & fall accidents. These absorbents encapsulate food and other slippery spills into a dry powder that can be safely disposed. The Spill Magic products are used throughout the U.S. in national and regional grocery, retail, big box and other retail stores.
The company's main office is located in Santa Ana, CA (about 30 miles south of Los Angeles). This 30,000 square foot facility is the headquarters for its administration, sales, customer service, production, shipping and receiving for the Western U.S. and Pacific Rim. In addition, Spill Magic has a facility in Smyrna, TN (about 20 miles south of Nashville) that provides manufacturing and fulfillment for the Central and Eastern U.S.
In February 2017, Acme United Corporation acquired Spill Magic for $7.2 million in cash. Spill Magic had revenues in 2016 of $6.3 million and EBITDA of approximately $1.4 million.
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History
The Absorbent Market
David Wampler, a serial entrepreneur who had owned bars, restaurants and even a construction company, decided to go into the absorbent business in 1995. A few months earlier, someone had demoed a product to him that absorbed all kinds of liquids. He was convinced this product was a much better alternative for clay products that were being used in the dog and kitty litter market.
However, it didn't work out. Consumers were used to buying a 50-pound bag of clay kitty litter at $5 a bag, while Wampler's absorbent cost $20 for a 10-pound bag. Even though the new absorbent was 50 times more effective than the clay litter, consumers figured that a bigger bag was a better deal.
Still convinced of the absorbent's qualities, Wampler decided to change strategies after a few months in business. He started marketing the absorbent as a safety product to prevent slip & fall accidents. He rebranded the product and removed the word "absorbent" from the packaging and the product's website.
Spill Magic Birth
Back in the mid-1990s, slip & fall accidents caused a huge $60 billion loss annually. Slips are not only a problem for workers. Customers, and even the general public, are also at risk. If a building occupant or visitor has an accident, there is no limit to what fees (medical, legal, etc.) companies will be responsible for. Those costs add up quickly. Preventing spill falls saves retailers tons of money.
With his rebranded product, David Wampler started visiting super market chains. He figured they were was the low hanging fruit of the slip & fall market, as jars filled with slippery food items are dropped to the floor on a daily basis, leaving shoppers at risk. Soon thereafter, he received the first orders from Safeway, Kroger and Walmart.
In 1996, Spill Magic, in tandem with the safety manager at Walmart, developed the Spill Response Program. Under the program the company would basically sell everything that a potential customer needs to clean up a liquid spill, such as brushes, brooms, dustpans, caution cones, etc.
Over the years, Spill Magic grew gradually by introducing its products to numerous retail stores and attending trade shows aimed at retail chains. While revenues in 1995 were only minimal, the next year they already grew to $695,000 and by 1997 they surpassed the $1 million mark. In 1998, sales again doubled to $2.3 million.
Revenues continued to rise in subsequent years, as new clients were added and existing retail chains expanded their use in more of their stores.
In 2003, Spill Magic opened a distribution centre in Smyrna, Tennessee. The main reason to open a second facility was that the absorbents are bulky and light, making them expensive to ship. Consequently, opening the Tennessee facility made shipping much less expensive for the company. In addition, it gave Spill Magic a hub to serve its East Coast customers better and faster.
This event again gave a boost to sales. Eventually, the company reached revenues of $6.3 million in 2016.
Also its number of employees grew steadily over the years. Starting with a couple of people in the office and a few in the warehouse, Spill Magic now has 28 employees.
Today, Spill Magic continues to focus on B2B customers, such as retail, grocery, restaurant, hotel chains and governmental agencies with the goal of reducing slip and fall accidents in their locations. Its main customers are chains such as WalMart, Publix, Kroger, SuperValu, and Albertsons.
One of Spill Magic's best selling products remains is its Spill Response System, which is being used thousands of times every day in national and regional grocery, retail, big box, and countless other retail stores in the United States.
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Additional Products
Next to its regular absorbent, Spill Magic started offering a wider variety of spill removers. For example, it offers the Biohazard Cleanup Kit, which is an OSHA compliant solution to safely remove blood and bodily fluid spills.
In addition, the company developed the Hazmat Cleanup Kit, which is a completely customizable kit to safely remove hazardous liquid spills. And also the Acid Absorbent Neutralizer, which is a lightweight high performance absorbent that provides quicker and safer response to acid spills.
Competitors
The major competitors of Spill Magic are X-Sorb, InstaZorb, New Pig, Stardust and Oil-Dri.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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