The Muscle Car Place Online Podcast, episode number 369. This week, our guest is Mr. Tom Burton,

the inventor of the grip mat. The grip mat is a silicone non-skid tool tray, and it was something

he developed as an initial product because he just needed it. He needed a place to set his tools on

while he was working on these big, fast, kind of roundy

airplanes that were fighter jets.

Yeah, he was an F-16 mechanic.

He just needed a place to put his stuff that wouldn't slip off the side of the airplane.

So he developed a specially blended silicone product to do just that.

And he's gone from selling these things himself at trade shows to catalog

distribution, to winning the Seema Launchpad competition, to winning on the Shark Tank TV show.

If you have ever wanted to get into developing and selling your own product, listen in closely.

Tom will lay it all out, including what he thought of his very first distribution deal.

I remember learning that they basically take 30% margin so they can resell it, which is

very low and also not outrageous at all.

But at the time I was like, are you kidding me?

They want that much money?

I just thought that was a lot.

This is the Muscle Car Place weekly online podcast. Brought to you by National Parks Depot. This is a Muscle Car Place, weekly online podcast.

Brought to you by National Parks Depot.

This is the weekly show dedicated to people worldwide who love American muscle cars.

Whether you're buying them, selling, restoring, or even racing them, this is the place for you.

Now here's your host, Rob Kibby.

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