Qvc Picks Local Firms For Telecast Four Entrepreneurs To Gain Coveted National Exposure

Ivan Day knew he had it made when a man approached him with black ink spilled all over his tan sweater.

Day was presenting his soap-free stain remover to QVC home-shopping network representatives during their recruiting visit to Spokane on Feb. 27. The man asked if Day’s product could remove the ink he’d accidentally spilled on himself.

“A couple of squirts and it was all gone,” Day said. “Everybody was going, ‘Oh my gosh, I’ve got to have some of that.”’

The impromptu demonstration helped Day’s company, Plus Manufacturing, become one of 20 small businesses in Washington state - including four Spokane firms - to win a spot on a QVC broadcast June 1. QVC reaches up to an estimated 60 million households.

“Quality products can become household names with national television exposure,” said Bill Lane, QVC vice president of new markets. “Some lucky Washington entrepreneurs could strike it rich.”

QVC is touring the country, selecting 20 products from each state to be advertised on air this year. The shopping network checked out Idaho-made products in Boise on March 4, but has not yet announced winners from that state.

QVC’s selection of Day’s product already has reaped profits. QVC bought $25,000 worth of the carpet stain remover, which will be marked up and sold on-air.

“QVC really liked our product,” Day said. “It gives us a chance to get that national exposure.”

Competition was stiff in Washington, with 419 small businesses pitching their products in two days of recruiting in Seattle and Spokane. In addition to Plus Manufacturing, other winners from the Spokane area include Whipple Enterprises in Otis Orchards, and The Creation Station and Sticky Fingers Bakeries, both of Spokane.

Whipple Enterprises makes a device called the Super Splatter Shield, which protects walls, floors and people from food splattering out of pots during cooking. The Creation Station hand-crafts table lamps.

Ted Vogelman, co-owner of Sticky Fingers, said his company’s dry scone, brownie and bread mixes have been distributed nationwide for seven years and have been featured in such magazines as Food and Wine. QVC representatives called and asked the company to pitch its products at the Spokane recruiting session, he said.

“It can’t do anything but help us,” Vogelman said of his chance to market his product on QVC. “It will also help the stores that buy from us.”

, DataTimes