‘A safe alternative to putting during social-distancing times’
KITCHENER — The COVID-19 pandemic forced Zak and Kody Yoshy to close the doors to their custom metal fabrication business and, as days turned into weeks, it was beginning to look like the closure might become permanent.
An idea hatched during a savethe-business brainstorming session has given the owners of Yoshy Ltd. a reason to be optimistic about their company’s future.
The golf-loving brothers have partnered with Deer Ridge teaching professional James Skrypec to manufacture and sell Pin Caddy, a product they call “a safe alternative to putting during social-distancing times, while maintaining a traditional golf experience.”
The brothers are handling production at their Forewell Road shop and Skrypec is dealing with marketing and sales.
Pin Caddy, unlike other variations of the product in circulation, is designed using stainless steel and is powder coated to prevent rusting. The product attaches to the pin and golfers simply use their putter and a rubber-covered lever to raise a metal plate and remove their ball from the cup.
Legal professionals have been consulted to ensure Pin Caddy is OK to produce and distribute from a patent standpoint and the partners have been cleared to proceed.
“With the orders that we’ve got in the last day-and-a-half, it has saved our business. It has enabled us to be able to pay rent, to pay our suppliers ... and this has all happened in the past 10 days,” said Zak Yoshy.
“It’s been a very fortunate ride and a very interesting one, going from discussion of not being able to continue to potentially being able to make a run with something in an industry we love.”
Ontario golf courses are currently closed but could be one of the first businesses to open when provincial restrictions are eased, possibly in the next few weeks. When they do open, social-distancing measures are expected to be in full effect, including rules that prohibit players from touching the pin.
The Yoshy brothers created a supply chain to make Pin Caddy a reality and made a point of reaching out to small businesses in this area that might be in need of work. FM Supply is a Waterloo-based company that helped with sourcing the shrink rubber that goes on the handle, Rytech Machine & Repair in Elmira assisted in the development of the clips, Astron Tool & Machine in Elmira created progressive dies to produce Pin Caddy on a mass scale, and TCM Motors in Heidelberg is responsible for powder coating.
“It’s turned into a feel-good thing, to be involved with small, local businesses, people we’ve had long-standing relationships with,” said Zak Yoshy.
Skrypec posted a demonstration of the product last week on his Instagram page and the response has been overwhelming. Sixteen golf courses had purchased the product as of Thursday morning — an order of 25 costs $875 — and 50 orders are pending. As well, a Californiabased distribution company reached out to Skrypec on Wednesday and discussions are underway to sell the product in the United States and beyond.
Locally, Whistle Bear, Elmira,
Galt, Deer Ridge and Westmount have placed orders, said Skrypec, and Conestogo-based GolfNorth Properties is giving it consideration. Courses in British Columbia and Nova Scotia have also made purchases, said Skrypec, giving Pin Caddy a coast-to-coast presence.
The product came along at the perfect time for Skrypec, who found himself with all kinds of time on his hands after Ontario forced non-essential businesses to close March 24. The provincial shutdown remains in effect until at least May 12.
“It’s been a whirlwind, for sure, learning on the fly about distribution, patents, filling orders, shipping, that sort of stuff,” said Skrypec.
“So far, it’s been a great experience.”
Skrypec is confident Pin Caddy is the best product on the market for golfers who want to see their putt drop into the bottom of a hole, as opposed to bouncing off a raised cup or sitting atop a piece of pool noodle that has been wedged into place.
“For me, as a traditional golfer, it was like ‘this thing is unbelievable.’ So as soon as I put this on my Instagram feed — I have a few (5,512) followers — and it went viral,” said Skrypec.
“We got so many views and likes and shares, it was going crazy and people were calling me about buying it. I had all the e-commerce set up on my website, so I just kind of flipped it over from golf lessons to Pin Caddy, and people started purchasing online.”
The Yoshy brothers opened their custom metal fabrication business in 2017 and have worked with interior designers, builders and construction companies to create one-of-a-kind pieces and miscellaneous metal works.