According to a news release from Walmart, more than 1,100 businesses from throughout the nation pitched their items at the yearly “Open Call” in 2015 and simply more than 330 were selected to be offered in shops and online.
Lowcountry Pet Specialties was among 4 providers in South Carolina selected for items made, grown or put together in the state.
The Mobowl (called for “mobile bowl”) is a $12.99 trademarked BPA-free collapsible travel animal bowl that fits 2 cups of food or more cups of water and steps simply 4 inches in size when open.
Launched almost 4 years earlier, the Mobowl is now cost 120 animal specialized sellers around the world and available on the Lowcountry Pet Specialties website.
“We have sold somewhere in the neighborhood of 80,000-100,000 units. We have shipped 30,000 units to Europe,” said Lowcountry Pet Specialties creator John Hagerman, a retired engineer. “Europeans love this product; they are very active with their pets. (This WalMart partnership) is the project that really puts us on the map. By being in Walmart, it opens new doors for us to other retailers.”
Hagerman began Lowcountry Pet Specialties particularly to make and offer the Mobowl. He developed the concept after getaways with his border collie at the beach and the park where he would forget to bring a water bowl.
“I would either cobble something up out of aluminum foil or I’d even pour water into my hand,” Hagerman said. “I looked online for a portable pet bowl, but nothing impressed me. I said,’ You know what? I’m going to make my own.’”
Hagerman’s friend had a 3-D printer and the very first model of the Mobowl was produced. Hagerman invested years checking various products that was both safe for dogs and collapsible into simply inches. Hagerman has a hallmark and patent for the Mobowl in several nations.
“The business was going great, and then the pandemic hit. And the problem was everybody was working remotely, so we didn’t have an opportunity to present our product or meet major retailers face to face and let them experience the product and feel it,” Hagerman said.
He found the Open Call effort and used last summertime. Hagerman is presently in the procedure of providing images and an item description to Walmart’s business marketing group and wishes to be online in the next couple of months.
The Mobowl is presently made in Indiana, however Hagerman said he has strategies to move production closer to home, specifically if orders increase from the Walmart collaboration. Hagerman said he wishes to employ employees to meet orders for increased production.
“We are looking now for a manufacturing site here in Charleston County. We’re also looking in Colleton County to be able to fulfill the orders — Colleton County is offering some great incentives — in being able to warehouse all the products and all the packaging,” Hagerman said. “The plan is to maintain (inventory) we have now. Right now, we have plenty of inventory, but we’re hoping that we deplete this inventory and we get back into production and start increasing production.”
Hagerman said he is dealing with creating brand-new to-be-trademarked items through Lowcountry Pet Specialties. He hopes the Walmart connection will stimulate nationwide sellers like PetSmart or Petco to bring the Mobowl on racks.
“Now that Walmart has brought us on board, I hope it will happen that (national pet retailers) are going to look at us with a much more serious frame of mind,” Hagerman said. “Our goal is to get it on the shelf. Once it gets on the shelf, that’s when we will really ramp up production.”
