PPB April 2018

Rob Cha r l t on Reinventing The Wheel Rob Charlton pitches his products on The Dragons’ Den with partners Dr. Anil Makker and Pete Czerwinski. Photo provided by CBC. 76 | APRIL 2018 | CONNECT M ost corporate organization charts don’t have a slot for chief inventor, but Mississauga, Ontario-based distributor The Next Trend Designs (TNT) does. And it’s the most appropriate title for Rob Charlton, who co- founded the company 25 years ago with his partner, Janine Taylor. Growing up in the Greater Toronto area, Charlton flexed his entrepreneurial muscles early on. While still in high school, he started a sportswear company, Authentic Wicked Wear, which featured shirts inspired by the surfing and tie-dye styles that were popular at the time. His customers were so impressed by the designs that he started receiving requests to have their logos printed on the shirts. That experience served as Charlton’s introduction to the promotional products industry. By 1993, Charlton and Taylor owned their own distributorship. Their interests and skill sets complemented each other: Charlton drove sales and marketing, and Taylor managed the business and human resources responsibilities. Charlton credits Taylor with being “the brains behind the business,” and says she expertly handles the important behind- the-scenes duties that keep the company running. What started as a two-person shop grew to current-day TNT, which employs 35 staff members. Charlton is not your typical distributor, though. One of his passions is identifying a product that can be improved upon and developing an upgraded device that can be patented. His process includes creating the original design on computer-aided design (CAD) software, printing a 3D sample and locating a factory to manufacture it. What are some of your inventions or product innovations that have been successful in the promotional products industry? My background is in sports fitness, so when I create something it usually has a fitness twist to it. I invented the Typhoon Shaker Bottle, which allows the user to create a protein shake on the go. We have been very successful with this product, selling millions across North by Terry Ramsay Rob Charlton’s flair for rethinking everyday products landed him on a hit reality show, where he won big.