Annual Home Show draws businesses with ideas big and small

Joe Mendoza was impressed when he saw a product called Storm Stoppers on the reality television show “Shark Tank” last year.

But he thought the inventor, John Smith, made a mistake that kept him from winning over the show’s investors.

“That’s why I called him,” Mendoza remembers. “I said, ‘You made a couple of errors when you got on the show. You were selling a window protector for just hurricanes. You didn’t open it up to hail damage, tornadoes and high winds – even sand storms in the desert.’ ”

Actually, Mendoza had one more reason for making the call: He wanted to sell Storm Stoppers in and around his Oklahoma home. The call worked. He’s now territory manager for the Florida-based company in Oklahoma and Kansas.

And he will be among the 280 exhibitors expected at this week’s Wichita Home Show, which starts Thursday at Century II.

Storm Stoppers are window protectors, designed to stand up to high winds and the objects they can hurl at homes. The protectors are made of translucent corrugated plastic that’s three-eighths of an inch thick. According to the company’s promotional materials, Storm Stoppers have been tested in winds of more than 125 mph and have remained intact.

Storm Stoppers cost between $6 and $7 a square foot, plus taxes and shipping.

Mendoza said he bought a set for his Oklahoma City home. The Storm Stoppers cost $1,875 to cover 12 windows on his 1,800-square-foot home. The plastic panels are sold with instructions for do-it-yourselfers to cut and trim the covers themselves.

According to the company’s website, Storm Stoppers were invented in 2004 by Smith, described as an Orlando-based entrepreneur who had previously invented collegiate-themed hubcaps.

Other exhibitors at the Home Show, which is organized by the Wichita Area Builders Association, include a wide range of home-related companies. Those who attend can find information on everything from building an entire home to getting their carpets cleaned.

Builders association officials say they expect attendance to be strong this year, signaled by a better local housing market and an improving economy.

This story was originally published February 4, 2015 at 3:15 PM with the headline "Annual Home Show draws businesses with ideas big and small."