Impact Fenders: Bracing for Impact

There’s nothing better than spending a day water skiing on the lake.

There’s nothing more frustrating than trying to fasten cylindrical fenders to the side of your boat before arriving back at the dock.

As California natives, Brian Slaughter and Courtney Gates love boats. One day in 2017, they had just finished water skiing and were trying to attach their boat fenders when Brian had an epiphany: why hasn’t anyone created an easier system?

As he reached out to other boaters, Brian discovered that they had the same frustrations. Soon he was drawing up designs, looking at materials, and trying out options.

Brian and Courtney joined forces with Jack’s Plastic Welding in Aztec, NM. “They were so helpful,” Courtney says. “They made computer designs of our ideas and had plenty of materials.” After four rounds of prototypes, Impact Fenders was born.

In the meantime, they learned about the Southwest Colorado Accelerator Program for Entrepreneurs (SCAPE) and decided to apply.

Courtney remembers, “It was a crazy time. We were leaving the country for Christmas, and SCAPE requested a video of our product. We ended up filming from Belize!” Soon after, they were accepted to the SCAPE program.

By November of 2018, they were preparing to launch their product. They headed to their first boat show at Lake Havasu and sold out in two days. “Everyone kept asking, ‘Why hasn’t anyone thought of this before?’ People were intrigued by the flat fender idea, which stores easily and doesn’t scratch the boat.” Brian and Courtney returned from the boat show with dozens of new orders and a renewed excitement.

The product officially launched in January 2019, and Brian and Courtney were “off to the boat shows.” Initially, they focused on the performance sport boat market, which was the industry segment they knew best. That spring, they hit every large boat event they could find. By June, they were ready to test the salt water market, and they headed to coastal shows that focused on sailboats, catamarans, and cruisers.

They quickly discovered that their product worked for every boat type. They’ve made custom fenders for house boats, yachts, and boat clubs with dozens of boats in their fleets. Impact has also created custom bumpers for boat docks of every size and shape. All of their products are manufactured in their Durango facility and come with a lifetime limited warranty.

As they looked forward to 2020, Brian and Courtney planned a boat show circuit that included some of the largest shows in the world. They also planned to focus heavily on the wholesale channel to get their products into the hands of boat dealers, marinas, and retail stores. In March, COVID hit, and they found themselves pivoting to a new marketing strategy—fast.

To compensate for the cancellation of live events, Brian and Courtney stepped up their social media game and rebuilt their website. They also started running Google Ads and partnering with YouTube influencers. Courtney says, “We had the most amazing response from our market. This has been the best year in 12 years for the marine industry, and we were able to ride that wave. Our sales in 2020 have been thousands of dollars higher than our previous year.”

The future is bright, and Brian and Courtney are already looking forward to 2021. Their growing staff currently includes two office team members, two salespeople in the field, and two people in the shop helping manufacture products.

Brian and Courtney are extremely grateful to SBDC and the team at SCAPE. “The SBDC has been super supportive; Mary and the team put us in contact with quite a few people who have helped in many different ways. The people at SCAPE have been so helpful; they are still helping us find investors, negotiate contracts, and they are always willing to advise us. Thank you to our investors and everyone who believed in us. ”

Both Brian and Courtney are thrilled to be working in this exciting industry. They encourage other budding entrepreneurs: “Really believe in your product, but be equally open to advice and feedback. Listen to what people with experience have to say. Not everyone has the guts to start a business, but if you do, find that support network to get you started on a strong path.”

Fast Signs

By Christine Rasmussen When Durango-based Fast Signs owner Laurie Sigillito asked SBDC Director Joe Keck if he could spare an hour to offer feedback on an upcoming sales presentation, Keck had a better idea: Why not have a panel of advisors from the Business Advisors Network listen to her pitch? The Business Advisors Network (BAN) is comprised of 25 business counselors with wide and varied areas of expertise. Clients can meet individually with an advisor

Read More »
Wily Carrot

Kellie Pettyjohn is the proud owner and founder of The Wily Carrot, an organic farm located in Mancos, CO. She came to the lovely Mancos Valley in 2010 via Washington, D.C., to pursue an idyllic lifestyle, work with her hands in the outdoors and become her own boss. Kellie first got her hands dirty when she tended to two acres of vegetables on Dave Banga’s farm in Montezuma County. She interned with him for a

Read More »
Buck’s Parlor – A Place for Y’all

After years of living in Nashville, Lauryn Williams was ready for a slower pace. Her friend and fellow hair designer, Chasity Martinez, had recently moved to Durango, so she decided to come visit. It wasn’t long before the two started talking about launching a barbershop of their own. But, they knew that it had to reflect their unique style and personalities. And that’s where Buck’s Parlor was born. Buck’s Parlor is a unisex barbershop with

Read More »
The Wine Merchant

By Malia Durbano Eric Allen and Lesley Ponce needed some expert advice as situations in their business changed. They were moving from their location next door to Nature’s Oasis to their current location, next to the VFW at 1514 Main Avenue in Durango. Ponce who had been employed by The Wine Merchant for 10 years, would become a partner after the move. Allen explains, “I had some questions about how to structure a lease. I

Read More »
P.S. Chocolates

Michele White is a lifelong artist who lives out her creative passion.  She transitioned her career as an art teacher and into a self-taught business entrepreneur.  Michele imported clothes and jewelry from Indonesia and sold them at her Satori Boutique, in Pagosa Springs.  Michele sold the boutique after eight years, but continued to import items from Bali as she wondered about her next venture.  On a day when she visited Santa Fe to sell her

Read More »
Pagosa Secure Storage

“Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want.” Tim Sullivan stated that when he summarized he and his wife’s (Lorri) journey towards owning Pagosa Secure Storage. Tim had been involved in several endeavors to build or buy his own storage facility for the past ten years. Due to circumstances involving financing, zoning, limitations to expand an existing property or it being too expensive, the right deal never presented itself. Tim did

Read More »
Skip to content