Finding a way to make anything that holds water “safe for wild birds” was what led Gordy Dye of Sheffield, Iowa to invent “The Bird Bath Raft.” Gordy’s invention was a plastic disk that floats – exposing just the right amount of water for songbirds to safely use. Why bother?? Because giving songbirds access to safe water is one of the best ways to attract more varieties of birds to the typical consumer’s yard. His patented Bird Bath Raft is used by birds in all seasons and in all sorts of water containers including garden pots, stock tanks, whiskey barrels, and even Koi ponds.
Finding a way to economically market “one” product has proven more difficult than the actual invention, so as of July 13, 2010, Gordy and his wife, Theresa, have sold the Bird Bath Raft to Songbird Essentials of Mexico, Missouri. Songbird Essentials has been America’s fastest growing line of wild bird products the last three years, with the acquisition of BirdQuest, Bird Company, Eklunds Wild Bird Products, Rubicon Recycled Plastic Products, and the Seed Hoop, helping the product line grow to over 200+ products.
When asked why sell to Songbird Essentials, Gordy commented, “The folks at Songbird Essentials know the wild bird business and are committed to the same type of independent and privately owned stores that we served. We’re also happy that the Bird Bath Raft (like the majority of Songbird Essentials products) will continue to be made in the United States.”
Mel Toellner, President of Songbird Essentials, added, “We are excited about the addition of this great product! We are blessed to sell our products through over 20 distributors across the U.S. and Canada, and this allows us to achieve economies of scale that were different for Gordy. We’re happy to announce that we’re able to reduce the price of the Bird Bath Raft where it can now retail for just $9.99 with full normal mark up for the independent retailers we serve. Like all of our products, we guarantee that the Bird Bath Raft will not be sold in mass nationwide discounters including Wal-Mart, Lowes, Home Depot, K-Mart, Cosco, Menards or Tractor Supply. We feel the advice that independent store members give consumers is often as valuable as the products they sell.”
Retailers can contact their favorite distributor or Songbird Essentials @ 800-269-4450 or sales@songbirdessentials.com for further information or to order product.
