As a little boy, Tony Lloyd dreamt of being an inventor so much so that everyone called him Tinny, due to his knack of turning nothing into something.
Now a sprightly 80-year-old, Lloyd may finally have cracked it with a creation that recently survived the heat of CBCs entrepreneurs TV show Dragons Den.
Being a former tennis coach amongst many other things, including a life spent managing various airlines Lloyd experienced first-hand the frustrations of trying to pass on his expertise to multiple players at the one time.
So, he got to work in his Moffat Road garage in central Richmond and invented the Practice Hit, a contraption that allows players to perfect their stroke and their footwork, all in a tight space and as long as they want.
Ive always been known for making things, said Lloyd, who also invented a freezing machine for TV dinners and a golfing aid, which John Daly was set to endorse before he went out of bounds.
But I was trying to coach tennis one day and there were like 11 kids, either standing around waiting on their turn, or all taking shots when I wasnt able to see them.
I thought it was crazy and when I see something thats wrong, I try to fix it. Thats why I came up with the Practice Hit.
And until two years ago, Lloyd was content to putter along, selling a few hundred of his product here and there.
However, his advancing years meant he was starting to struggle keeping up with increasing demand. Thats when his son, Graham, stepped in.
He needed some help and I saw some huge potential in the product, said Graham.
Dad is one of the hardest working people I know, but he needed someone to take it to the next level.
Dicks Sporting Goods has approached us and some of our product is still being made by hand. Thats why we went to the Dragons Den for help.
Successful Vancouver auditions three months ago for the show where business owners demonstrate their product to a panel of celebrity investors in the hope of attracting investment led to the Lloyd father and son team facing the Dragons two weeks ago in Toronto to sell the Practice Hit.
And although theyre not allowed to reveal the outcome, the Lloyds both described the pitch to the Dragons as an incredible experience.
I think it was a very proud moment for Dad, for him to finally get recognition for one of his inventions, said Graham.
We explained to them that this was a six-figure business now and we simply cant keep up. We need to mass-produce and to get the product retail ready.
Our adrenalin was pumping and we just rolled right through the pitch. It went very well.
The Lloyds arent sure if their pitch will make the final cut, or when itll be shown.
It could be any time between the fall and next spring, they didnt tell us much, added Graham.
