Just in time for back-to-school, Mississippi-born LockerBones make their retail debut at Staples

Just six months ago, on Friday, January 17, 2014, Mississippians were glued to their television sets watching Clinton, Mississippi inventor Greg Cronin and his business partner Steve Coachys appear on ABC’s Shark Tank to try to make a deal with the sharks. Cronin created the first LockerBones prototype for his daughter Ashley in their garage. On the show, investors (Sharks) Robert Herjavec and Lori Greiner both struck initial deals for capital and guidance with the company.

Although the deal with the Sharks was never sealed, LockerBones struck a deal with another player, Staples. Staples launched a new plastic version of LockerBones, in three colors, in 500 stores across the country for this back-to-school season.

Mississippians may be unable to walk into a store to buy LockerBones, since there are not many Staples retail locations in the state, including the capital city area. However, shoppers can order either plastic or wooden LockerBones on the LockerBones website (www.lockerbones.com) or plastic LockerBones on the Staples website (www.staples.com, search for “lockerbones”).

LockerBones path to retail is still growing. Cronin says the company is already in discussions with other big-box retailers.

Not only has LockerBones taken and grown its Mississippi garage-born business idea to a national retail level, it has done so with local businesses such as Clinton, Mississippi-based Diversified Brands (www.diversifiedbrands.com), handling fulfillment; Pearl River Doors, a Pearl, Mississippi company manufacturing all wooden LockerBones for sale to the public; and Ridgeland, Mississippi based marketing company Think Webstore (www.thinkwebstore.com), designing and managing the website, media, and public relations for the company. There is always an extra ounce of pride in a truly locally grown success story.