Imagine it’s 8 a.m. on Memory Mall and you’re just starting off your tailgate for another early noon Knight’s football game. You have your tent set up and the beer in the cooler, but when you reach through the ice for a can, you realize it’s still lukewarm temperature and you don’t want to wait for hours for the beer to cool off – enter the Spin Chill.
By using the handy Spin Chill device in your cooler of ice, your lukewarm beer will be ice cold in less than a minute. The innovative product hooks onto the top of the can or bottle and spins it around numerous times with the press of a button. Despite what you may think, this doesn’t cause any foam or explosion upon opening, and you’re ready to start tailgating in minutes.
Young inventors and entrepreneurs of Spin Chill, Trevor Abbott and Ty Parker, came up with the idea in the summer of 2013 at a hack-a-thon in Georgia. Since their initial prototype, they have been able to raise funding from a Kickstarter campaign and are now selling and shipping out of Gainesville, Fla.
Parker, who is a recent graduate of the University of Florida with a mechanical engineering degree, left his job with a fast moving company and a steady paycheck in order to take Spin Chill to the next level.
“Going from being able to buy a house to having to buy and sell used textbooks to pay rent adds a lot of stress and uncertainty. I try to keep a positive attitude about it and realize that I am learning much more than I would in a regular job,” said Parker.
Abbott, who is still currently studying mechanical engineering at the University of Florida, loves seeing customers enjoy their product.
“The best part of the journey has been seeing the reactions we get from customers. We have had the opportunity to meet a lot of awesome people along the way and we continue to grow our network,” said Abbott.
Senior, Sean Crane, is one of those happy customers.
“When I first saw it, I thought it was a great idea. It really caters to college students and the tailgating atmosphere,” said Crane.
Parker loves seeing customer’s reactions too, but the most rewarding part of their journey so far has been the opportunity to learn from their experiences.
“I was never a big advocate on going to class or trying to learn by listening to a professor, and I try to live my life the same way: by figuring things out on my own,” said Parker. “I don’t mean that I don’t listen to advice, I just mean that I learn from trying,”
When it comes to having an idea and making it happen, Parker encourages taking a leap and chasing your dream while you’re still in college.
“If you are thinking about starting a company, the best time is now, before you’ve acquired a bunch of bills or an expensive lifestyle. It’s easy to look at a large, successful business and wonder how you could ever create something that complex, but all those companies started with one or two people with a simple idea,” said Parker.
For the future, Parker hopes that Spin Chill will become so successful that people won’t be able to remember what life was like before it came along, and Abbott agrees.
“We would love to spread the fun and excitement we’ve had with Spin Chill to others and keep making products that people can enjoy and relax, or ‘chill’ with,” said Abbott.
Even though the Spin Chill is still in its early stages, it’s sure to be a tailgating staple for future years to come. Spin Chills can be purchased at www.spinchill.com.
