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Twenty Years of Innovation
MANY PEOPLE start a wholesale business for extra cash, or to try something new. For Jerry Phlip- peau, it was a means for survival. “I started Flipo out of my apartment in Los Angeles right aſt er being homeless,” he notes. “Out of desperation to eat, I started a business.” Flipo’s start began with the launch of an item that had yet to have a large commercial appeal. “When I started the company in 1992, the fi rst product I came across was pepper spray,” Phlip- peau says. “At the time it wasn’t being used by civilians, it was only used in the military. I found a manufacturer in Arizona, and we started repackaging and selling it for consumer use. We went through quite a few hoops to make it a legalized product.” Officially in the
security product busi- ness, Flipo added more self defense products, and built solid rela- tionships with several companies in China. “Eventually, I secured our first large order with JC Penney,” at a time when Phlippeau had very lit le money and therefore had to fi gure out how to fi nance his fi rst order. “Financing has now become a part of my life, because the orders
28 April 2012
Our fl ameless candles are made out of wax and look just like a real candle, but without all the bad things. No mess, no soot.
keep get ing bigger and bigger,” he explains. Now the head of a multimillion dollar company, Phlip- peau still travels to China frequently, enhancing the level of communication with his suppliers. Twenty years in, Flipo has an extensive line of merchandise that extends far past its initial self defense focus. T e wholesaler is also known for its LED products, sell- ing everything from pet safety lights to fl ameless home décor candles, an item that sells millions of units each year, mostly through television advertise- ments. T e candles are bat ery oper- ated high-end home décor pieces that are increasing in popularity. “Regular candles emit carcinogens, and most people don’t think about it until they have their house inspected and fi nd the fi lters are dirty and black, and that same soot in the air is going into their lungs,” Phlippeau says. “Also, candle wax melts all over the place, and they are expensive to replace. Our fl ameless
candles are made out of wax and look just like a real candle, but without all the bad things that a candle has. No mess, no soot. T ey actually are
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