William Kenosha has been crafting unique inventions for over 20 years. We sat down with him to learn what inspired him to open KenoPlastics, LLC.
An aircraft mechanic by trade, William Kenosha has been working with his hands for nearly 40 years. “As a mechanic, I work a lot with metal and over the years I’ve found ways to make things for my own use out of metal.”
While Kenosha never thought he would be a business owner, it was his handiwork, and his roommates, that inspired him to create one of his first products, the Lock-it Top.
“I was living in a house with five roommates, all college kids. Every time I tried saving food for work, one of them would eat or drink it. So, I found a piece of metal at work and formed it into a clamp that would fit around a soda bottle to lock it, and it worked!”
From there, Kenosha found his inspiration taking off, which is how he formed KenoPlastics, LLC. In addition to preventing roommate theft, Kenosha has been focusing on creating foldable plates and drink holders for tailgate and sporting events.
While Kenosha focuses on building his business, he knows there’s one thing he doesn’t have to worry about, insurance. “Having the right insurance has helped me get my products into a local Walmart in Tuscon, Arizona. Now I know I can get my products into other stores as well since I’m already insured. The process with CoverWallet has been painless and reassuring.”
Running a business is no easy feat, Kenosha tells us he had to endure several rejections before getting his products in a retail giant like Walmart through a local product program.
“I work near Seattle and tried the local Walmart stores here and received a lot of good feedback, but it didn’t go anywhere. I quickly realized that the Pacific North West wasn't really a barbecue and picnic kind of place with so much rain and cold weather.”
“I was born and raised in Tucson so I contacted the local Walmart and with the help of my sister, convince the local store manager to allow us to sell the Folding Double Beverage Plates in his store. But, it took over two years of calling and making sure we had inventory to finally get a face-to-face with the manager.”