Solar eclipse safety king John Gerritt
Courtesy of American Paper Optics
Less than two years ago, John Gerritt, owner of American Paper Optics, the largest manufacturer of 3D safe solar eclipse glasses, wasn't sure if he would live to see 2017.
The cancer diagnosis not only knocked him sideways, but also put him into perspective that the only thing he had been waiting for literally his entire life and preparing for his business might not come to fruition. August 21, 2017 will be the first time since 1979 that a total solar eclipse will cross the United States from coast to coast.
He has an ambitious goal of selling 100 million pairs of solar-safe glasses that block 100% of harmful UV and IR radiation and 99.999% of powerful visible light, providing the safest way to view events in space. has been set. Suddenly, that goal seemed out of reach.
A psychology graduate from Louisiana State University, Gerrit always had a passion for business. he says: “I worked for the American Fireworks Company in Mississippi, and in the mid-1980s he was a partner in the development of three restaurants. That gave me the opportunity to get proper experience as a business owner. I graduated from university. ”
But it was after finding diffractive glass in a trash can that he got the idea for his business. He coined the name “3-D Fireworks Glasses” and at a fireworks event in Memphis he sold over 10,000 pairs.
In 1990, he started a business called American Paper Optics with just two employees, but like many small business startups, he found that lack of funding was one of his biggest challenges. I did.
“I was paying my employees out of my own pocket, so I was trying to find a way to generate revenue,” he says. “For the first nine months we had very low production, but in 1991 we secured a major project to produce 13 million 3D glasses for the Freddy's Dead: A Nightmare on Elm Street series. Thanks to the profits I made from that project, I was able to start working in earnest.
“I can say it was my inner carny showman that inspired me to start American Paper Optics. Twenty-six years later, I am still passionate about bringing optical joy to the planet one piece of 3D glass at a time. We are realizing our passion.”
A once-in-a-lifetime event, the 2017 total solar eclipse presented Gerrit with his biggest business opportunity yet. “Since 300 million people may experience it, I decided to sell at least 100 million solar eclipse glasses to protect the eyes of those who enjoy the eclipse,” he said. say.
Then, in 2015, his plans were abruptly halted when he was diagnosed with serious cancer.
“A cancer diagnosis is unexpected for anyone and can leave you in a state of confusion and indecision about treatment and your own future. Having surgery can help you live a healthier life than delaying treatment. We knew that it would increase our chances of being sent, so from a business planning perspective, we knew we needed to ramp up our marketing efforts immediately in case we were going to be away for an extended period of time.
“Fortunately, I have a great staff and they picked up my slack for about a month when I wasn't able to work at my peak. It was obvious to me that I needed to take care of myself, and I set myself the goal of beating cancer, watching this historic total solar eclipse, and selling and selling as many glasses as possible. I did.”
Thankfully, after treatment, Gerrit was given the “all clear” and soon redoubled his efforts at American Paper Optics, mass producing tens of millions of custom branded and unique commemorative style eclipse glasses. I launched it towards.
he says: “We already produce millions of eclipse glasses and new orders come in every day. We sell our products throughout the United States through retailers, distributors, and our own websites, including eclipseglasses.com. sell and build a presence on Amazon at the consumer level.
“If we continue at this pace, we have a good chance of reaching the 100 million mark, but we still need a few major corporate sponsors to get us over the top. , Engineering, Mathematics) to move the entire effort forward is a huge boon.”
On August 21st, the sun and moon will align from coast to coast in the total solar eclipse corridor, creating a corona that will illuminate the moon's outer edge. A total solar eclipse lasts only a few minutes, but it darkens as the temperature increases.
But once the cosmic event is over, American Paper Optics won't be sitting idle and will immediately begin producing the famous holiday glasses used to view holiday and Christmas lights.
The company has sales of $10 million and is expanding its workforce, with the current 40 employees expected to grow to more than 60 in the coming months to keep up with Eclipse's demand. The Bartlett, Tenn.-based company's future has celestial events to help celebrate.
Gerrit added: “Of course, solar eclipses occur around the world every year, so there are great opportunities to sell our Safe Solar Glass in those locations, including the next total solar eclipse in the South on July 2, 2019. There will also be one in America. “
