When Andrew Davie graduated from Regis University in Denver, CO, it was 2009 and the height of the recession. Armed with a degree in Business Marketing and Management, Davie decided to do what no one else in the Denver area was doing, and launched Pong Products, a company specializing in manufacturing and distributing products related to the game of Beer Pong. “I did my research, and learned that in a recession people drink more beer than hard alcohol,” Davie explains. “I knew there was a market for Beer Pong.”
Though the concept seemed simple, there was a hurdle for Davie to overcome. “At that time in Colorado, it was illegal to sell anything in liquor stores not directly related to the consumption of alcohol,” Davie recalls. “This included ping pong balls. So I applied to the state and got them to allow me to sell Beer Pong kits in liquor stores. I had to include Beer Pong rules, and stamp the balls, ‘Beer Pong balls.’”
Davie started making Beer Pong kits in his garage, but sales grew rapidly. Pong Products now operates out of a 4,000 square foot warehouse in downtown Denver, and products are sold nationwide. One popular seller is the 22 Starter Kit, which includes 20 cups and two ping pong balls. The price to distributors is $2, including shipping, and the kit retails for $4.99 to $5.99. Another hot seller is Das Boot, which contains 25 ping pong balls, selling for $8 to $10 wholesale and retailing for $15 to $20.
Pong Products recently added an inflatable ping pong table with beverage cooler to the line. Business is booming, and Davie expects sales to exceed $100,000 in 2012, but there is more to be done. “I’m going to continue to expand my product line,” he notes. “My whole thing is about bringing more innovative games and new products to the market.”
For more information:
Pong Products
4877 National Western Dr., Suite 111
Denver, CO 80216
Tel.: 720-291-6630
Website: www.pongproducts.com