P&R AccessoriesMotorcycle rider’s quest for comfort yields successful inventionIf you’re not a motorcycle enthusiast, Bakup was developed foryou may not understand the necessity ofPhillip Strother’s invention, Bakup. Buthe has an image he uses to help peopleunderstand.“Imagine you’re driving for milesin your car with no back on your seat.You have nothing to hold you up,you’re relying on the steering wheel tokeep you upright,” he said. “That’sHarley-Davidson police motorcyclesand is being used in lawenforcement.Sales of the Bakup neared$250,000 in 2003 and Strotherestimates that they will exceed$400,000 in 2004.The device is breaking groundin a market formerly dominated bywhat it’s like to drive amotorcycle with noback rest.”The Bakup is revolutionaryin that it ismade in America, fromstainless steel parts andit requires no modificationsto the bike inorder to mount it. It canName: P&R AccessoriesLocation: LulingOwners: Phillip & RhondaStrotherbe installed quickly and withoutchanges, alterations or adjustments tothe motorcycles’ frame or body, makingit more “user-friendly.” Currently itis available for BMW, Harley-Davidson, Honda and Yamaha motorcycles.<strong>New</strong> models are under development.In addition, a model of theProduct: Invented the Bakup,a backrest for motorcycles.overseas creationsthat Strother saidare made for thecheapest priceand not to satisfythe customer.“This is an All-American madeproduct,” he said.Strother saidthough locals might not understandthe need for such a device, there isa large market elsewhere, especiallyoverseas. He said that before he createdthe Bakup “there wasn’t anything on themarket I thought suitable to put on aBMW bike.”What started as an innovation meantThe Bakup back rest can fit on several makes of motorcycles and requires no modification to the bike.for Strother’s personal use has expandedto distribution in 78 BMW Dealers advantage of his invention comes fromeasy to install, Strother said the biggestnationwide. He is looking to export the the comfort it gives riders.Bakup overseas, where he said there is a “A comfortable rider is a more awaremuch larger market for motorcycle rider. A more aware rider is a safeaccessories among the larger amount of rider,” he said.bike enthusiasts.While the Bakup is user-friendly and— Nicole HaaseProcter & GambleCompany thinks outside the can for its coffee packaging in<strong>New</strong> <strong>Orleans</strong>Folgers coffee drinkers might associatethe product with a red steel can. Now thecompany has launched new packagingfor its coffee line: the AromaSeal canister,an all-plastic container with a foil seal.Folgers, a Procter & Gamble company,claims two Louisiana connections for itsdesign. The plastic canister is manufacturedat Liquid Container LP/Plaxicon Co.of Hammond. The coffee supply comesName: Procter & GambleLocation: CincinnatiCEO: Alan G. LafleyProduct: Folger’sAromaSeal canisterlaunched at its facilityin eastern <strong>New</strong> <strong>Orleans</strong>.from the Folgers’ eastern<strong>New</strong> <strong>Orleans</strong> plant.Procter & Gamblesays Folgers is the firstroast and ground coffeesold in a plastic container.The AromaSeal canister,which replaces the traditionalsteel can that hadbeen in use since the mid-19th century, keeps coffeeas fresh as the original package.But the newdesign is easier to handle. It’s light and easyto hold and features a wide, indented handle.The design has won Folgers accoladesfrom both the packaging industry —Packaging Digest, which speculated lastSeptember that the new plastic containercould “spell the death of the steel coffeecan” — and praise from consumers, whosay the design is more convenient for elderlyconsumers or those people with arthritis.Additionally, the metal lid of the can isnow replaced by a “snap-tight” plastic lidand a peel-off foil seal, which eliminatesthe need for can openers and also meansfewer cuts or scrapes from jagged metaledges. The canister is dent-resistant andunlikely to break. Procter & Gambledeveloped the idea for the canister withassistance from several companies, whichcontributed to the completeAromaSeal package.Procter & Gamblereported a 4 percentincrease in coffee sales afterthe August 2003 launch ofthe AromaSeal canister.The first AromaSealcanisters will be sold in a39-ounce size — the sameamount as in the steel can,but measuring 6 by 6 inches, shorter andwider than the can — with Folgers’ bestsellingClassic Roast.Eventually,all Folgersmetal containers will be replaced withAromaSeal canisters.The blow-molded canister, which ismade from high-density polyethylene,is recyclable.— Faith DawsonFolgers began using the new canister for the coffee processed at its eastern <strong>New</strong> <strong>Orleans</strong> plant.16A 2004 Innovator of the Year
Urban Dog MagazineMagazine finds its niche by going to the dogsAs a dog lover — in particular as a lover ofmutts and mongrels — Lisa Robinson wasfrustrated that most dog publications,such as Dog Fancy and Dog World,seemed geared toward breeders and a certainrarefied type of dog enthusiast.However, she saw opportunity in her frustration;Robinson published the first issueof her magazine, Urban Dog, in 2001.“I was inspired to create it because Iwas looking for something like it,”Robinson said. “I wanted a magazine thatcelebrated dog culture.” Urban Dog, withthe tagline “Get in touchwith your inner dog,” is Name: Urban Dogmore than articles aboutfleas and how to take care Location: <strong>New</strong> <strong>Orleans</strong>of a pet, according to Publisher: Lisa RobinsonRobinson. It’s about“thoughts and reflectionsof our lives with dogs.”Reading any issue ofthe quarterly will uneartharticles offering just that.Sometimes the content has been writtenexclusively for Urban Dog; sometimesRobinson has reprinted from othersources essays and anecdotes that fit inwith her overall theme.Often the magazinewill profile photographers and paintersProduct: Publishes quarterlymagazine aimed at dog loverswho don’t necessarily havepurebreds in their kennels.who use canines as their subject material.Although the magazine has a smallsubscriber base for readers who wantnew issues mailed to them, Urban Dogmainly is distributed for free at a varietyof outlets, ranging from pet stores to coffeeshops, and depends almost entirelyon ad sales for revenue.The magazine started with a printrun of 8,000; its soon-to-be-published10th issue will have a run of about25,000. Net income rose 70 percent to$20,923 from $18,160 between May2003 and May 2004.Started in <strong>New</strong> <strong>Orleans</strong>with local advertisers,the magazine is nowavailable in 23 states andis finding new forms ofdistribution.For example, HotelMonaco, a national chainof luxury hotels thatallows guests to bringtheir pets, is including a copy of UrbanDog as part of a dog package deal.Books-a-Million, the third-largest U.S.bookstore chain, is experimenting withdistributing the magazine in about 70 ofits stores.Lisa Robinson started Urban Dog Magazine as an alternative to publications geared to owners of purebreds.As the magazine grows, it has beenattracting more national advertisers and e-commerce pet sites. Robinson is toyingwith the idea of putting out Urban Dog sixtimes a year,depending on her advertisers.In any case,she knows there’s an audiencefor more dogginess.“I’m a dog nut,” explained Robinson,who signs her e-mails with a ‘Woof.’“There’s a million of us out there.”— Henry K. AlpertIn the unpredictable world of businesstravel, it’s good to have ESP.Take your meeting straight to thetop at the Omni Royal <strong>Orleans</strong>.<strong>Business</strong> travel isn’t always the easiest thing to plan. That’s why Omni Hotelscreated our Executive Service Plan (ESP), designed to ease travel planning.Whether you choose the Omni Royal <strong>Orleans</strong>, winner of the Pinnacle Award forten consecutive years, or the Omni Royal Crescent Hotel, ESP is a great way toexperience luxury that’s surprisingly sensible. To learn more about how yourcompany can benefit from ESP, call our specialist, Julie Yates, at (504) 527-0006.Nobody works harder to arrange the perfect business event thanthe staff at the Omni Royal <strong>Orleans</strong>. All right in the heart ofyour favorite French Quarter. So you’re free to focus on business!It’s no wonder we’ve earned the prestigious Pinnacle Award for tenstraight years. To learn more about how to plan the perfect businessevent, call (504) 529-7010 or visit omniroyalorleans.com.2004 Innovator of the Year 17A