Ever been annoyed by changing garbage bags? Jack Licata sure was. As an Air Force captain in the late 1980s, Jack found himself on trash duty. But instead of just grumbling about it, he saw an opportunity.

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Join Bora Celik as he chats with Jack Licata, the founder of BAGUPS.

"You have to go down the hall, get the bags, come back to where the garbage can is, change the garbage, fluff it out, find the open end," Jack recalls. "It's just not a good time motion function."

That frustration sparked an idea that would become Jack's life's work: BAGUPS, an innovative trash bag dispensing system.

The Eureka Moment

Jack's background in the Air Force and his MBA studies gave him a unique perspective. He started studying how people change trash in fast food restaurants. "I had a lot of cups of coffee going to Burger King's McDonald's and watching how people do it," he says.

The solution? A system where bags are dispensed from the bottom of the trash can, always ready for use. Simple, right? Not quite.

The Long Road to Innovation

Turning this idea into reality was no easy feat. Remember, this was before the internet era. Jack had to flip through Yellow Pages to find plastic manufacturers and box makers. And when he did find them, most weren't interested in working with a small-time inventor.

"When you're a little guy, you're nobody like me. No one wants to deal with you," Jack admits.

But Jack persevered. He found partners willing to do small runs, even though it was expensive. He visited fast food restaurants, demonstrating his prototype to managers. "I'd give them a box and had five in it. And then I'd come back and they're like, yeah, I want to order these," he remembers.

A Serendipitous Turn

Jack's journey took an unexpected turn when he met a representative from an occupational center. This encounter not only solved his production challenges but also aligned with a cause close to his heart.

Years earlier, Jack's fiancée had been in a severe car accident, leaving her with a head injury. The experience opened his eyes to the challenges faced by people with disabilities.

"If I ever, ever can make a difference for this population, I'm going to do it," Jack vowed. "Nobody chose to be disabled."

Today, Bag Ups partners with occupational centers, providing meaningful work for people with disabilities. "They love what they're doing. They go home fulfilled. Their families are happy," Jack says proudly.

Pivoting to E-commerce

Despite early success with commercial clients, distribution challenges forced Jack to rethink his strategy. When the internet boom hit, he saw an opportunity.

"We pivoted and said, you know what, let's go to the residential size and use the internet. And our distributor is the US Post Office," Jack explains.

The shift to e-commerce came with its own learning curve. "I didn't even know what SEO stood for," Jack admits. But he dove in, learning everything from Shopify to Instagram marketing.

Looking to the Future

Today, Bag Ups has about 4,700 subscribers and is approaching $2 million in sales since 2020. But Jack isn't resting on his laurels. He's constantly tweaking the business model, adding new products, and exploring ways to grow.

His latest innovation? Trash bags made from stone. "For every 2.2 pounds of this product you use, you save 6.52 pounds of CO2," Jack explains, highlighting the potential environmental impact.

From Air Force captain to trash bag innovator, Jack Licata's journey is a testament to the power of persistence, adaptability, and finding opportunity in everyday annoyances. Who knew changing garbage could lead to such an inspiring story?

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