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MJ, 'Pitchmen' host talk trash on radio

Staff photo by WALT BELCHER

Anthony "Sully" Sullivan and DJ MJ Kelli demonstrate the invention the Collapsi-Can during MJ's morning radio show. The invention may be featured on Sullivan's show "Pitchmen" on Discovery Channel.

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By WALT BELCHER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 6, 2009

There was a lot of trash-talking this morning on the MJ Kelli Show on WFLZ radio where a handful of inventors were told they may appear on the next season of "Pitchmen," including two people whose products make it easier to lift trash bags.

Anthony "Sully" Sullivan, host of the Discovery network series, was impressed with at least five of the 10 products that were culled from auditions held Wednesday at the Ritz Theater in Ybor City.

The audition drew 177 inventions. "It was an amazing success and we're going to give the best ones our best shot," said Sullivan, who runs a Tampa-based infomercial marketing company.

Among the products that most impressed Sullivan was the "Collapsi-Can," a segmented trash can that folds-down to allow easy removal of trash bags.

Nathaniel Tite, a 24-year-old computer technician from St. Louis, handmade the proto-type. "I just got tired of trying to lift trash bags out the can," he said. "When you fill up the bag, it's hard to pull it out. My collapsible can folds down around the bag."

Sullivan said it meets all the criteria for a hit infomercial product. "It solves a common problem, it's easy to demonstrate, it's not expensive to produce," he said. "I can see the pitch now."

But another product, the Sack-Trac, also makes it easier to lift stuffed trash bags out of cans. Rebecca Kochelek, of Bradenton, said her father came up with the idea of plastic strips that attach to the inside of trash cans that make trash bags slide up and out with ease.

Sullivan liked the product but wanted to meet with Kochelek later to determine if it could be marketed. He said he may have to make a choice between Collapsi-Can and Sack-Trac.

Also getting a crack at product development is a water-saving cut-off switch that attaches to faucets made in Clearwater.

And impressing Sullivan was the No Kuts Safety cutting board which shields fingers from being accidentally sliced. It was invented by John DiNatale, of Port St. John who says it's a much needed product because there a more than 8 million finger cutting accidents each year.

A couple of inventors may be profiled on "Pitchmen" even if their products don't make it to the full-blown infomercial/marketing stage. An unemployed man from Denver who made a toilet paper holder on a swivel will be profiled. His device is for those homes where one person wants the roll to come down from the top and another wants the roll to come down from the back.

Also getting a shot at national exposure during the second season is a 16-year-old boy who developed a multi-purpose wrench.

Reporter Walt Belcher can be reached at (813) 259-7654.

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