Edward Rodarte, CEO of Telamcorp, took a common problem—“stinky feet”—and turned it into a thriving business. Telamcorp is the manufacturer and distributor of products aimed at neutralizing unpleasant daily odors and pests. Its product line includes the Sweet Feet Spray foot-odor spray; Smoke Off spray; Shoo Fly Spray insect repellant; Uglow Body oil, and new to the line-up, the Crapper Zapper bathroom spray.
“I had the concept for the Sweet Feet product 13 years ago, when I was traveling a lot and I had the problem of stinky feet,” Rodarte remembered. “I tried everything out there and nothing worked. So I wrote down some ideas. Then, two and a half years ago, we started to work on a formulation and Sweet Feet spray was born.”
The product quickly took off, and expanded beyond its original concept. Rodarte said that it was popular with soccer moms and hockey moms, who were using it to neutralize smelly gear, and people were using it in the bathroom, to banish bathroom odor, and any other bacterial odor.
Based on this initial success, Telamcorp went back to the drawing board and invented a new formulation for smoke odor. In June of 2014 they introduced the Smoke Off spray to combat the odor of smoke. “The sprays aren’t just a cover-up,” he said. “They dissipate the bacteria that cause odor.”
The bug spray concept came from an effort to produce a natural scent insect repellant. Shoo Fly contains no DEET and no citronella. Instead, it uses a secret blend of plant extracts that appeal to humans but are intolerable for flying insects, according to Rodarte.
The newest product, Crapper Zapper, is similar to Poo-Pourri, another bathroom odor neutralizer. Crapper Zapper is meant to be sprayed into a toilet bowl before use and leaves no odor behind. It is aimed at the general consumer market. “The packaging is based on the old Green Hornet type comics, so it’s very retro and nostalgic,” Rodarte said. “It’s a fun product that gets rid of the smell.”
Buying Information
Telamcorp products are available through the website or by phone. Wholesale customers must show a valid business or retail license, and there is a $200 minimum order. The products all feature eye-catching graphics and designs and are meant for everyday use. They sell everywhere from dance studios to convenience stores and pharmacies. Sweet Feet comes in display packs of either 20 or 25 units and are perfect for point-of-purchase display. The Crapper Zapper, Smoke Off and Shoo Fly products are sold in 12-pack displays. All products wholesale for $2.50/unit, with a recommended retail price of $5.99/unit.