One Central Florida company struggles against the foreign competition.
Built on a foundation of pride, family and patriotism, many American companies are feeling the sting from the Far East. Chinese companies are undercutting small American businesses by creating replicas and selling them at half the cost. One American family is working to repair a dream that began with a WWII vet and a beloved father.
The Shelton Corporation was born from the vision of Douglas Shelton, who took his family on frequent shrimping trips in South Florida. He invented two commercial shrimp processing machines along with the Shrimp Butler, a kitchen tool that aids in the peeling and deveining of shrimp. A proud patriot and a veteran of WWII and the Korean War, Douglas knew that he wanted his invention made and sold in the U.S.A. According to Shelton, “Made in the USA was the only way to go.”
With visions of families working together in the kitchen, Douglas Shelton passed away before his dream ever became a reality. His daughter, Carol Aymar, is determined to run the Volusia County business and fulfill her father's aspirations.
With a hundred other market, production, and economic factors, add this to the equation: a Chinese manufacturer copied the product, virtually identically, stealing over $300,000 in product development, injection mold building, and patenting costs — and two years of Doug Shelton's life.
Has Shelton Corporation been shot down by Chinese patent infringements? The story is not over. Along with litigation through the courts, Shelton Corp. is forced to creatively fight the Chinese knockoff in the marketplace.
Not only is Shelton Corporation's product extraordinary, but their story is too.