Emmanuel Martirez doesn’t have a background in product design. By day, he works for a local advertising company.
So his idea to create a new type of tape dispenser was born out of a personal need: He got sick of throwing out leftover food from his fridge. That frustration led Martirez to begin using painter's tape and a permanent marker to label his family's leftover meals.
“Just by doing that, we started wasting way less food,” he said.
However, one problem still remained. As the father of three children, Martirez said it wasn’t unusual for his kids to walk off with the roll of tape and marker.
For Martirez, that led to the creation of his startup, Kitchen Stickin’ LLC. The company has created a tape dispenser designed specifically for the kitchen that is made to mount damage-free on refrigerators, walls or in out-of-sight places such as inside cabinets and pantries. Its dispenser holds a roll of tape as well as a permanent marker.
While initially conceptualized for home use, Martirez said the product also has drawn interest from companies that use tape and labels. Its users include restaurants, bakeries, information technology companies and automobile mechanics.
“What has been amazing is how well the product has been picked up in professional circles,” Martirez said.
The product: Kitchen Stickin’ has created a tape dispenser specifically for the kitchen. It is designed to mount damage-free on refrigerators, walls or out of sight in places such as inside cabinets and pantries. It holds a role of tape and a permanent marker.
How it makes money: The Kitchen Stickin’ tape dispenser primarily is sold directly to consumers through its website, Amazon, Walmart.com and Etsy. It also is available at specialty kitchen supply retailer Cornucopia in Kirkwood.
Size of the market: The U.S. home organization product market is an estimated $12.2 billion industry, according to the Cleveland-based Freedonia Group. Globally, the kitchen storage organization market was valued at $115 billion in 2018 and is anticipated to reach $154 billion by 2027, reports India-based Coherent Market Insights.
Competition: The St. Louis startup contends the tape dispenser, originally invented in 1932, has remained basically unchanged over the decades. Kitchen Stickin’ says its patent-pending design provides “radical reimagination” of the tool, leaving it without a direct competitor at this time. However, in terms of the product’s use cases, it says competitive alternative products include traditional table-top tape dispensers, electronic label makers and chip clips.
Competitive advantage: Kitchen Stickin’ believes its design and functionality make it stand out. It contends no other tape dispenser product offers the same space-saving, vertically-mounted orientation and easy storage for a permanent marker. It also believes manufacturing its product in the U.S. offers an advantage.
Business it could disrupt: Kitchen Stickin’ wants to disrupt the traditional tape dispenser market with what it considers is an innovative, new option in the kitchen organization and office supply markets.
Founder and his background: Emmanuel Martirez is the founder of Kitchen Stickin’ LLC and inventor of its tape dispenser. In addition to the startup, he is creative director and writer/producer at marketing communications agency Phoenix Creative Co. He has a law degree from Saint Louis University and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Capital raised: Kitchen Stickin’ is currently an entirely bootstrapped venture. As sales ramp up and opportunities become available, the company may look for investment capital in the future.
Ideal exit: Martirez said he is not currently building the company with an exit in mind. He says the company's main goal is to become a leading innovative voice in home products that make a positive impact.
CLOSER LOOK
Company name: Kitchen Stickin’ LLC
Headquarters: Shrewsbury, Missouri
Year founded: 2020
CEO: Emmanuel Martirez
Website: www.kitchenstickin.com
