I Kkwit Urban Exterior Ashtray Tower, a word play on: I quit smoking… And at 44 years old I quit everything to start my business! Because its shape resembles the letter i, I have also added a dot on top, thus dotting my Is and crossing my Ts! It also serves as a handle to hold the cover when emptying the container. Why 2 k’s? Well the HEC have taught me the impacKt of the letter K in marketing… so 2 is better!
Where did my idea come from?
Coming out of a bar after happy hour at Casey’s Boucherville, where I noticed an excessive amount of cigarette butts on the ground
It is then and there, on 8 June 2006, that I had the flash and I designed it exactly as it is now, an outdoor ashtray, wall-mounted or tower model, with an exclusive design. In reality, the ground was littered with hundreds of cigarette butts and one stainless steel ashtray; (I call them in good Quebecois, fire boxes, smelly machines or chimneys!). I had a flash, a vision worthy of a movie! A type of hologram appeared to me, a gift from God himself at the time my life was collapsing! And believe me, I had just arrived and I was not under the influence of alcohol or any illegal substance! I entered the bar, I finished my first and only beer and went back to my home where I drew my invention. The next day at noon, I came across a company that made lamp poles with the extrusion that I use to make my cigarette butt collectors. Everything came together in my head at the speed of lightning. That day, I Kkwit! (I left everything). Everything I did for a living, in just 12 hours I changed my life!
Moreover, the anti tobacco law just came out on 31 May 2006 and I had heard a report on the radio mentioning that the City of Montréal had hired 120 students especially to pick up cigarette butts all over the city. Also, Montréal Mayor Gérald Tremblay had already complained that the city was literally littered with billions of cigarette butts. The City of Montréal loomed large as my first customer! I have imagined and created a very stylish and attractive urban ashtray. It is hermetically sealed, rugged, durable and weatherproof, and theft and fire resistant. It has a large capacity, is easy to empty, and is available in more than 400 colours. 100% Aluminum made.
My research and observations
I studied the smoking habits of Montrealers:
• In office towers;
• On different streets such as St. Denis and de Maisonneuve,
Crescent and St. Catherine (restaurants, etc.);
• In Lafontaine Park;
• At St. Luc Hospital;
• In the Old Port
• At Parc Aquatique Mont St. Sauveur;
• And in bars, restaurants and other public places.
Anywhere they go, people should be able to use facilities that would encourage them to keep their own environment clean and odour-free.
I Kkwit Urban Ashtray Features
• 100% Aluminum made
• 15 different sizes and models (modifiable if necessary)
• Can be affixed anywhere. (Different brackets available)
• Stylish and attractive design
• Ecological: virtually very few risk of fire or smoke escaping from the unit
(the cigarette butts arrive extinguished at the bottom).
• Large variety of colours (more than 400) powder coating
• Weatherproof, anti corrosion, fireproof, cylindrical
• Rugged, durable and maintenance-free (no plastic), robust
• Usable life is 25 years and more
• Requires no sand
• Content is always dry, watertight and airtight
• Installs everywhere (shorter, wall-mounted version available)
• Very secure (integrated padlock), not a breakable weak lock
• May be fitted with lighting (underneath the cover)
• May be rented for special events
• Is able to receive profitable advertising
• Its production creates employment in Québec and Canada
• The I Kkwit urban ashtray represents an excellent tool in the fight against
tobacco consumption. A “Quit to Win!” Challenge message could be added to it.
Target customers
Cities, hotels, bars, restaurants, hospitals, public places, parks, buildings, government buildings, industries, factories, shopping malls, grocery stores, wholesalers, buildings, office towers, churches, garages, community centres, CSSS, airports, train stations, amusement parks, businesses, clinics, golf clubs, private clubs, night clubs, medical and social services centres, vacation resorts and other. In short, behind every door is a customer !
My personal challenge
I Kkwit is much more than just an urban ashtray.
It also embodies important messages:
• Determination
• Perseverance
• A vision of health and of clean air
• A vision for the future
• A marketing vehicle with a large impact and assured profitability for its owner.
The I Kkwit urban ashtray is a Quebec invention than can be sold all over the world. No matter whom we are or where we go, we can be justifiably proud of this fine product. You now have the opportunity to contribute, by your support, to the success of numerous people that are going to be involved directly and indirectly in the production, sale, marketing of the product. So far, from the beginning to the end I Kkwit provides jobs to more than 80 persons in Quebec for its final product! My son then 17 years has contributed to the concept of my project (internally) and my then seven-year-old daughter has imagined a new type of water slide during our last outing there (watch this space… you may be surprised!).
Four years later! June 2010.
I Kkwit (Division of Jer-B-Syl Inc.), with close to 4,000 ashtrays sold, now provides work directly to 80 persons (subcontractors) and provides hours to thousands of persons here in Quebec. I Kkwit has bought close to 300,000 pounds of aluminum since 2006. It took hours to make this aluminum, make the paint to cover the ashtrays, and finally, all other components and the ashtrays themselves etc… A small idea can become exponentially with time.
I was often asked: Sylvain, what will you do when everyone has stopped smoking? Hey, well as my first vision (read further), I Kkwit became a worldwide ashtray and outdoor furniture supplier. My idea has already been delivered to 10 countries across the planet and has received requests for distribution from 26 different countries.
I learned from my father that when you find a job, you have to look for another one from the first day on! So, as the demand grew, I seized the opportunity to apply this wisdom and I created new objectives for myself and my staff. In addition to my ashtrays and to match them with an attractive style of urban furniture for indoor and outdoor public spaces, I decided to create a full line of garbage and recycle bins. Even the battery recycling bins were put together. The icing on the cake? A range of unpretentious and revolutionary bicycle racks! You must read the history of the Rack@Bikes, model Andrea. (See Photo of the Caisse Populaire les Méandres à L’Assomption Qc.). The quality of the I Kkwit products is now recognized. Then they asked me for benches, picnic tables and even bollards. (See photo Provigo Marieville Qc ). It is a joy for landscapers, and building engineers. So there you have it: I Kkwit four years later.
Oh my God! All that work done in 4 years! Fortunately, all the products are as much liked as the ashtrays. We keep the planet green and that is why our slogan is: The solution for a greener environment! In addition by creating jobs, we create products that are 100% aluminum, partly recycled and recyclable and we strongly believe that our products save the planet!
Thank you for your time and I look forward to meeting you in person.
Sincerely,
Sylvain Bourdeau President Inventor of I Kkwit
Jer-B-Syl Inc.
Division I Kkwit
4500 Industrial Boulevard, suite 20
Chambly Québec Canada J3L 4X3
514-823-7919
