As a lifelong outdoors enthusiast, Roy Clinch Tremoureux Jr. of Dayton has battled stiff winds while enjoying himself on golf courses, lakes and rivers and sailboats.
Tiring of having hats blowing off his head, Tremoureaux designed a cord to keep his lids affixed to his noggin, and he’s begun selling the product at local golf courses.
The Clinch Cord, which consists of a length of high-strength paracord attached to two clips with a slider to tighten the device under the chin, retails for $5. Tremoureaux designed an initial prototype in March and in June had refined the product and applied for a patent and trademark rights. He’s created displays to sell the Clinch Cord at regional golf courses, including Dayton Valley, Wolf Run, Tahoe City, Lakeridge and Eagle Valley. He hopes to increase sales by getting the product into sporting goods stores and additional golf course pro shops.
“I’m pretty confident that I’m ready to step up to the next level of increased sales and maybe create some local jobs within the next year,” he says. “It would be great to get it in marinas and yacht clubs — it is great for boating, paddleboarding and for fishermen. I want to concentrate on the sporting aspect first before broadening my spectrum into retail stores.”
Tremoureaux recently invested in additional equipment that will allow him to custom-brand the heat-shrink tubing that covers the ends of the hat clips, which could significantly expand distribution channels as a promotional item. His long-term goal: Clinch Cords branded with college and professional sports logos and team names.
“It would be a good accessory to go with any sports’ teams hat,” he says.
Tremoureaux estimates he can produce several thousand Clinch Cords a month, so he can easily absorb significant increases in sales. Eventually, he’d like to hire a few production workers or even find a local subcontractor to do the light manufacturing work. He’d also like to find a small commercial space to begin producing Clinch Cords as production demands ramp up.
Clinch Cord is a privately funded venture, and Tremoureaux still works three days a week at the pro shop at Dayton Valley Golf Course to supplement his income. He expects to begin turning a profit on the venture in the first quarter of 2015.
Reaction to the product has mostly been positive, he says, but there have been some doubters.
“It is amazing the difference in reaction — some people look at it and turn up their noses, but 80 to 90 percent are enthusiastic about it.”