Tropiceel Products Inc

SBDC advice saves local business thousands of dollars

Merrilyn Jovin started making natural pain and wellness creams to help her husband’s ailing health.

When the creams, made from coconut oil and herbs, worked for her husband, Pat, it made sense to market them to other people. The Jovins launched Roseburg-based Tropiceel Products Inc. in 2009. They now sell Naturulz ultimate healing cream, total foot repair and total body wellness in thousands of stores throughout the country.

Pat and Merrilyn have taken the SBDC small business management class and have met with business advisers. SBDC helped them decide on brokers, distributors and a bank.

“That advice saves you thousands and thousands of dollars as a small business,” Merrilyn said.

SBDC also connected Tropiceel with American-based manufacturers so they could sell their products with American-made bottles and labels.

Merrilyn appreciates that SBDC stays up to date on industry changes, like how Amazon is changing online shopping. Having access to that expertise saves her time and money, she said.