Brett Stanley is gambling on his Rolla-Wipa invention hitting the jackpot at a massive United States hardware trade expo in Las Vegas this week.
Stanley said he came up with the idea for his invention about 10 years ago.
He described the Rolla-Wipa as a “simple” plastic sleeve, which is used by painters as a “more effective, timely, clean-up and paint-saving tool”.
“Like most good ideas, it was born out of necessity,” he said.
It had been a very long “but fantastic” journey to get his idea to a finished product.
Sales for the Rolla-Wipa run at about 10,000 a year in New Zealand and about 20,000 for Australia.
They retail for about $8, a price he says is set by distribution companies.
He said the Rolla-Wipa had not made him a fortune “yet”, but he was well aware that things could change if he secured a distribution deal to supply the large and lucrative United States market.
Photo by Rolla-Wipa.