Small-Business Owners Vie for Chance to Appear in a Super Bowl Commercial

Business Wire, Nov 23, 1998

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 23, 1998--

Twenty Entrepreneurs Named Semi-Finalists in Mail Boxes Etc.'s

"See Your Small Business on the Super Bowl Search II."

Fame may be fleeting, however, the chance for an entrepreneur to showcase his or her small business during the premier advertising event of the year could have an everlasting impact on the business and its owner.

A tremendous opportunity awaits one of 20 small businesses that have been named semi-finalists in Mail Boxes Etc.'s "See Your Small Business on the Super Bowl Search II."

The entrepreneurs who have been selected as semi-finalists represent the millions of small businesses that make up the growing small-office/home-office (SOHO) market.

"Entrepreneurs such as our semi-finalists work long and hard to realize their dreams of owning a business," said James Amos, MBE president and chief executive officer. "Small-business people are succeeding in every town in America. Their ambition and commitment deserve to be showcased on the Super Bowl, alongside commercials from some of the biggest companies in the world."

The semi-finalists are (alphabetically): -0-

     American Auto, Richard Kim, Aurora, Colorado
This company's innovation, called "KimVue 2000," is a clip-on rearview
mirror designed to eliminate "blind spots."

     Aqua Golf, Dean Peabody, Taylorville, Illinois
Avid golfers never like to be far from the tee, and now, thanks to
Aqua Golf's fun and challenging golf game, they can work on chip shots
while bathing at the pool.

     Awesome Games, Mark Keener, Atlanta
Drawing on childhood experiences, which pre-date video games, Awesome
Games develops modern-day boardgames for hours of high powered, yet
unplugged, family fun.

     Bubbletime, Inc., Brian Glover, Patchogue, New York
An explosion of bubbles is a sure-fire way to add excitement to a
party, and thanks to the Bubbletime machine, everyone can be
surrounded with tiny bubbles.

     Croll Cycles, Frank Amore, Minneapolis
Craftsmen at Croll provide cyclists with custom designed, steel-frame
bicycles which are built to meet the specific requirements of the rider.

     Fishing Enthusiasts, Matthew Wanderer, Boulder
This web-based company, fishingethusiasts.com, provides unique gifts
for the special fisherman or fisherwoman in your life.

     Good as Gould, Stu Gould, Evanston, Illinois
For ice hockey goalies, good equipment is essential, so this company
creates custom-fit goaltending equipment for any size goalie, from
ages five to 105!

     Googles, Chris Patterson, Lawrenceville, Georgia
These brightly colored swim goggles for children don't just look good,
they are also easily adjusted and shatter-resistant.

     Jeremy's Microbatch, Jeremy Kraus, Philadelphia
This delicious company creates a premier ice cream line and was
started by a 22-year-old Penn State college student.

     Johnston Development Corp., Britian Johnston, Tampa
This company develops and distributes adhesive magnets which turn just
about anything into an "ice box creation."

     MOC Innovations, Martin Crum, Visalia, California
Tired of digging through the garage for the basketball? The Ball
Garage is a handy storage device for keeping basketballs, volleyballs,
etc., easily accessible.

     Noel Enterprises, James Noel, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Building on first-hand experience, this entrepreneur now markets an
accident reporting kit to keep in the automobile, complete with a
camera to document the scene, accident report forms, a flashlight, etc.

     Norris Hall Studio, Norris Hall, Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Turning a love for art into a business was the dream of this
entrepreneur who now has a design studio which creates colorful and
whimsical furniture, clocks, switchplates and sculptures.

     Pendulum Golf, Tommy McKoon, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
This company, whose motto is "it's not the putter, it's the stroke,"
markets a specially designed golf club to help improve your game.

     Re-Sails, Angela Berry, Newport, Rhode Island
Re-Sails creates nautical-themed clothing and accessories from actual
sails, producing unique items and helping recycle readily available
resources.

     Sidekick Off Road Adventures, Rick Russel, Chino, California
Off-roading can be fun and safe, thanks to this company's off-road
maps, how-to videos and other materials for the adventurer.

     Synergist LLC, Bobbi Manning, Louisville, Kentucky
This company markets "The Blowsdrier," a portable clothes dryer for
travelers, powered by a hairdryer.

     Tech 2000 Services, Don Ashton, Duncan, Oklahoma
The "Tire Safety Gauge" is an innovative device with color-coded
markings which, when inserted onto tire valves, let drivers know when
air pressure is getting low.

     Tie Teacher Inc., Daniel Cianciotto, Commack, New York
This simple yet unique product provides the tools necessary for men to
master eight different tie knots.

     Wild Flower Bakery, Dolly Martens, New Berlin, Wisconsin
Handcrafted, European-style breads are the specialty of this
family-owned bakery.