FitFill® Incorporated was founded in December of 1997. The initial purpose was to develop a funnel to fit perfectly onto one-gallon plastic milk bottles while providing the largest hole possible (over one inch in diameter). This makes refilling fast and easy not only for liquids, but also for dry goods. Why? Because:
- Billions of milk bottles have been made.
- The bottles are basically free, reusable (airtight and watertight), will not rust, have a large handle, a big pouring spout, and can be easily labeled. They are the perfect containers for a host of everyday home uses.
- Reusing these bottles helps to recycle.
- The entire population has a potential need/use for the FitFill® Funnel.
April 1998: The first FitFill® Funnel was produced.
July 1999: The first FitFill® patent was granted.
October 2000: FitFill's first real sales and marketing effort began. Within a year, FitFill had a customer base of over 300 accounts in 42 states, offering a line of three unique funnel products and other accessories.
March 2001: The FitPop™ Funnel was introduced for refilling the next most popular plastic bottles - the 2-liter, 1-liter, and 20 oz. soda-pop bottles. Once again the fit is perfect, and the funnel has a large, ¾-inch diameter hole.
July 2001: The FitBig® Funnel was introduced. This funnel provides a perfectly tight fit not only for 2-gallon wide-mouth plastic bottles (commonly used for kitty litter), but also for industrial use with 55-gallon drums. FitBig® has a large 2-inch diameter hole.
2004: Weisenbach Recycled Products contracts with FitFill to product the funnel with recycled plastic (then recycled PP car bumpers).
2005: Weisenbach purchased the FitFill® product line, including the patents, trademarks and plastic injection molding tools (molds).
The History of
Weisenbach Recycled Products
Weisenbach Recycled Products, www.RecycledProducts.com manufactures the entire line of FitFill® products- patented, special purpose funnels, spouts, and containers for used oil collection and pollution prevention.
Dan Weisenbach is the founder, president and owner of Weisenbach Recycled Products. After graduating high school in 1980, Dan bought a small button making kit to make novelty joke-type gifts for friends. When he started getting requests for "real orders," he invested in a "real" button machine. Dan also began screen printing bumper stickers and selling business cards along with the button manufacturing in his parents basement. The profits from his efforts paid for his college tuition and books.
Dan's basement business grew as he designed logos and advertising messages for his clients. Dan became intrigued at the prospect of a career in printing and graphics. A month into his first college course in Graphic Communications, he knew that he had chosen the right vocation. Printing provided an opportunity for him to earn a living working in a job he loved.
Dan's parents, Paul and Teresa, have been with him every step of the way. In 1981, his father was looking to change careers and his mother's job of raising 8 children was complete as Dan, her youngest child, reached adulthood. The three of them explored the possibility of starting a new business together. By December they opened their print shop in downtown Columbus, Ohio with two small printing presses and lots of personal energy.
The company is now located east of downtown Columbus on the edge of Bexley, Ohio. Over the years, Weisenbach Recycled Products has built a reputation on outstanding customer service, innovative products and uncompromising quality. Some of our very first customers are still clients today, over 27 years later! Our printing and manufacturing services have provided us the opportunity to work with a diverse clientele in the public, private and nonprofit sectors.
This tradition continues by having capabilities beyond what most printers offer and more flexibility than larger printing companies can provide. We also have the added dimension of promotional products along with more typical printing services, which made us one of the first hybrid "printing/promotions" companies in the USA. Another "first" for us was our switch to soy-based inks and recycled papers as standards in 1989. As the first company to specialize in recycled promotional products, mailing our first national catalog in 1990, we are still the market leader.
The company uses Heidelberg offset printing presses along with many specialized machines for die cutting, foil stamping, button manufacturing, tampographic pad printing, screen printing, and graphics sandblasting. Weisenbach also offers custom injection molding and blow-molding of plastic products. We are constantly working to develop new and innovative products for our customer base.
Today, we are recognized nationally for environmentally responsible commercial printing, recycled promotional products and our ability to provide our customers with a variety of product solutions. What can we do for you?
The Inventor of FitFill®
Jens H. Persson
In 1994, Mr. Persson left a career with the Department of Defense as a Firefighter/Paramedic to pursue the formation of a home maintenance and repair company in the northern suburbs of Chicago. It was during those years of successfully running Handymen Plus Inc that Mr. Persson discovered his love of entrepreneurship.
Wanting to kick things up a notch and always looking for a challenge, he applied the secrets he learned about successful business along with leadership skills sharpened by the Fire Department and began fulfilling a lifelong dream. Mr. Persson saw the growing need for recycling at the consumer level and an opportunity to save people money while they recycle. He developed the concept of a funnel which fits on milk jugs for easy refilling, thus keeping milk jugs out of landfills and providing users with a handy "free" storage container.
Around a kitchen table in 1997, the FitFill® Funnel began to take shape. In 2003, Dan Weisenbach was introduced to Jens by mutual friend and fellow-inventor Walt Harman.
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Weisenbach Recycled Products
Quality Funnels and Spouts
made of recycled materials
No splashing.
No sloshing.
No third hand required.
No kidding!
