As a mother to two young children, it is needless to say that Karen Creed-Thompson has changed quite a few diapers in her time. While it’s not necessarily a task that parents enjoy it is a part of life when you have children in diapers. However, it was the flimsy, cheap changing pads that really annoyed Karen, says TheRecord.com.
A case in point was the torn and ragged-looking pad sitting near her desk.
“It made me upset. There are so many good materials out there.”
That was more than a year ago. Today she is the sole employee and owner of Thula Inc. (pronounced Too-la), a company that sells a two-piece kit, consisting of a rubber mat and cloth pad, aimed at making diaper changing more pleasant.
From a small office in her home overlooking Victoria Park in Kitchener, this 37-year-old “mompreneur” has forged links with a rubber supplier in Taiwan, a microfibre supplier in Pennsylvania, an import broker in Mississauga, two sewing companies and a national sales agent in Toronto and more than a dozen small retailers.
How did she do it? A lot of hard work, a supportive husband who teaches at a local high school, and “a little background in product development,” she says.
Photo by Joe Shlabotnik