Marc Allen, inventor of Paint Away Products, said by the time he had to go down the stairs and face the Dragons, all the stress went away and he was ready to show them that what he has created will be the next big seller.
“When you are there, you are practising and practising what you are going to say and then it’s time to do it. I felt really calm when I was in front of them,” said Allen, who presented the Roll Away and Paint Away products along with one of his partners Kris Friesen, to the Dragons on CBC’s Dragon’s Den.
So how did the local Langley entrepreneurs do?
“You’ll just have to wait and see,” teased Allen.
The episode airs on CBC on Nov. 16 at 8 p.m.
Allen auditioned in Abbotsford to make it to the show.
“I received an email from CBC confirming we had made it and the next thing we know we are in CBC studios in Toronto,” he said.
Seven years ago Allen was building movie sets and painting a lot.
“All my brushes and rollers were drying out,” he said. He would wrap his paint items in plastic bags and put them in the fridge, but it didn’t always work.
Then one night he had a dream about PVC pipe for his rollers and brushes.
“So I went into my shop and cut some PVC pipe and started storing my rollers and brushes in that and it worked pretty good. Months went by and the guys on the set wanted me to make them some.”
Within a few years, he really got serious about creating a product that would allow people to leave their brushes and rollers in a tube that would keep them wet for long periods at a time.
He went around the various paint stores and there wasn’t a product like what he had in mind to invent.
Through trial and error he has invented the perfect product, he said.
“That way you can walk away from painting for a week or a month and come back to rollers that are still wet and ready to go,” said Allen.“You can leave it for weeks, no need for refrigeration,” he said.
Time went by and he had ‘lots of doors close on me, but lots of doors open too.’
Another pivotal part of Paint Away Products is partnering with three Langley businessmen, Kris Friesen of BC Buzz Honey in Langley, Chris Davies of Chris’ Signs and Billy Grimes of Grimes and White Electrical.
“I couldn’t ask for better people to partner with,” he said. “These are honest, hard working people,” he said.
Allen still builds his own props but now works full-time promoting Paint Away Products and seeing his dream succeed.
“I’ve had this dream for seven years. It’s been a long journey but I see this product taking off and being in all the stores. The key is to never give up,” he said.
Paint Away Products cost about $13 per single Roll Away, with several package deals available on the website paintawayproducts.com. Currently the products can be found at Home Hardware and Benjamin Moore.
Watch Dragon’s Den on Nov. 16 to see Allen and Friesen present to the Dragons.
Those wanting to support the team can watch along and hashtag #painttheden
