P.E.I. business hopes to grow interest in garden tool

An invention created in eastern P.E.I. called the N.ViroPotter turns recycled newspapers into tiny pots for planting seeds and other uses. It's hoping that new branding will help grow sales both on P.E.I. and into other markets.

'There's been a couple of false starts and it's good to see that it's getting some legs now'

Nancy Russell CBC News Posted: Jul 06, 2016 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: July 6, 2016

Carla Morgan stands next to the company's display at the Artisans on Main shop in Montague. (Nancy Russell/CBC)

Entrepreneur Carla Morganand her partners are hoping a fresh new look for their unique gardeninggadgetwill grow sales for the P.E.I.-made product.

It all started when acreative neighbour shared her idea for an environmentally-friendly paper pot-maker with Morgan almost 20 years ago. RhondalynnClementsran out of pots when planting seeds in 1998, and improvised her own planters made of newspaper, created with a wooden form.

"She made three prototypes. She gave one to me and one to another friend, and then the next day she phoned us and told us, 'Hide it, I'm going to patent it, it's a really good idea!'," recallsMorgan.

What Clements patented were the directions forcreatingthe pot, which is what sets it apart from similar products.

Steady but not spectacular sales

The company recommends using black and white newspaper only if using the pots to start seedlings. (Nancy Russell/CBC)

Morgan's son got the company called N.ViroPotter up and running in the late 1990s, after Clements decided she had to focus on her family.

It was sold throughVeseys on P.E.I. as well as a U.S.seed company, and sales were steadybut not spectacular.

The company faced a turning point in 2014 when Veseys told them it was dropping the product, citing the packaging as the reason.

New branding

The company hopes to get these wooden kits into retail outlets across Prince Edward Island this summer. (Nancy Russell/CBC)

Morgan went back to the drawing board, teamingup with a graphic designer to create a new brand.

Now,the company is now on a major marketing push, hoping to get the N.ViroPotter onto stores shelves across P.E.I. this summer and expand sales across North America.

They now have 20 thousand boxes manufactured and arewaiting for orders.

Morgan is also hoping to pitch the pottersto Island food vendorsas a unique serving vessel, and she's hoping to do demos across the Island.

Fresh start

Tom Haan automated this lathe that used to make Buick parts in Texas to manufacture the wooden shapes. (Nancy Russell/CBC)

Tom Haan got involved with the company in 2004, providing a home base in an old shipbuilding garage in Dundas, P.E.I.. He's created an automated machine to turn out the planters, usinga turret lathe from the 1950s that used to make Buick parts in Texas.

Haanbelieves the company has now turned a corner.

"There's been a couple of false starts and it's good to see that it's getting some legs now," observed Haan.

Made on P.E.I.

The directions for making the pots were patented and are what makes the P.E.I. device unique from others on the market. (Nancy Russell/CBC)

"Some of my original motivation was this was my friend's baby, I wanted to cradle it," said Morgan.

"I wanted to make a P.E.I. product to have the wood grown on the Island, kilned in Montague, the potters made here in Dundas, and the original idea from the Island," added Morgan.

"Ours is not just made in Canada, they're made here on the Island."

The potters retail for$15.00 + hst for the regular or small size, $25.00 + HST for the large.

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External Links

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