Thirty years ago, Gary Roumayah didn't invent a better mouse trap but a better way to do sit-ups. The Livonia resident created a bench with couple of strategically placed straps that helped the then-young man focus on working out his abs.
He thought about patenting the invention but decided against it once he explored the cost of doing so. Fast forward to 2009 and the now retired truck driver decided to go for the patent. It took a few years but he recently landed it and made a short run of the machine, which he is branding as
Simple Ram Abs.
"The whole idea behind it is to do it more efficiently and effectively," Roumayah says, explaining how the straps help keep the user's legs and arms in place so the user's energy can be focused on their abs. "This makes sure your legs and arms don't get tired."
Roumayah sent letters to dozens of exercise equipment manufacturers once he had the patent. A handful got back to him to tell him they weren't interested. One wrote back and said it looked interesting but they needed to see sales before pursuing the matter further.
"They wanted to see if it could sell and be successful," Roumayah says.
So Roumayah made a run of 60 Simple Ram Abs he is selling for $199.99 over the Internet. He plans to launch an advertising campaign in August. He hopes to move all of his product before the end of the year.
Source: Gary Roumayah, president & owner of Simple Ram Abs
Writer: Jon Zemke
Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.
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