As a mom of four on a fixed budget, Bonnie Stromme looked to pinch pennies wherever possible. One day while packing lunches for her brood, she realized that she had more sandwiches on the counter than bags to wrap them in. So she did what any quick-thinking mom would do: she improvised. “I used a paper towel and masking tape to wrap up the remaining sandwiches,” says Stromme. While the idea essentially worked, the bread kept drying out. She realized that if the wrap were lined with plastic, it would keep the air out and become an eco-friendly alternative to purchasing disposable sandwich bags that clutter landfills. Thus, the WRAP-N-Mat was born.
With four kids then under the ages of 7, it took Stromme a while to bring her idea to market. “Preschool and kindergarten took up my mornings while the kids’ afternoon naps provided a time for me to sew my new sandwich wraps,” she says. With limited sewing skills and money to invest in her idea, Stromme worked incessantly at night on her product. The first prototypes of the WRAP-N-MAT were “hideous,” Stromme admits. “They were made from an ugly floral print that cost $51 a yard from the local fabric store.” Customers and retailers thought differently, though — they loved the simplicity and cost effectiveness of the product.
Since launching in 1998, the WRAP-N-MAT is now sold in stores across the country such as The Container Store and large supermarket chains. Perfect for lunches on the go, the WRAP-N-MAT pulls double duty as both a wrap and a placemat for sandwiches. Ideally, Stromme would like to see her product become a household staple, positioned alongside the plastic bags on retail shelves as an eco-friendly option. “Everyone should be offered a green substitute to the conventional plastic baggie,” she says.
Balancing work life and family life has been both challenging and a breeze for Stromme. “I suppose all inventors feel the same way about their baby/product, but the WRAP-N-MAT is really like our fifth child,” says Stromme. Now young adults, sons Deltin, Braxtin, Haydin, and daughter Megin have been involved in the family business since their diaper days. And Stromme’s husband Troy (who was her high school sweetheart) is now her “rock, best friend, and the company’s COO,” she says. So does Stromme hope that her kids will take over the family business one day? “It would be great if the kids run the business in the future,” admits Stromme. “That way, I can lay by the ocean, relax, and be free of bags!”