IT’S “A STICK-TO-IT-IVNESS STORY!

ONE DAY BACK IN 1948, A MACHINE SHOP MANAGER AND INVENTOR 
NAMED GEORGE DE MESTRAL WENT ON A HIKE WITH HIS DOG, FOR 
EXERCISE NEAR HIS HOME IN THE SWISS ALPS.

AFTER THE ONE HOUR PLUS WALK, HE AND HIS DOG CAME BACK 
COVERED WITH BURRS.

AT FIRST HE WAS ANNOYED AS HE HAD TO PLUCK THEM OFF OF HIM AND 
HIS DOG WITHOUT STICKING HIMSELF.

BUT, SUDDENLY A THOUGHT CAME TO GEORGE,…HE WONDERED WHAT 
MADE THEM STICK SO WELL TO CLOTH, HIS CLOTHING???


SO, PLACING A “BURR” AS THEY’RE KNOW, UNDER HIS MICROSCOPE, HE 
SAW SMALL HOOKS THAT BURROWED INTO THE LITTLE LOOPS WITHIN 
THE CLOTHING FABRIC.


WELL, IT WAS HERE THAT THE “IDEA” OF A “HOOK AND LOOP FASTENER” 
WAS BORN.  BUT, BELIEVE ME FOLKS, THIS IS WHERE THE REAL WORK 
AND COMMITMENT BEGAN!


GEORGE DE MESTRAL SET OUT FOR LYON, FRANCE, TO PRESENT THE 
CONCEPT TO TEXTILE EXPERTS.  THEY LAUGHED AT HIM.


YES!!!! YOU HEARD ME CORRECTLY.  THEY ACTUALLY LAUGHED IN HIS 
FACE.


BUT THAT WASN’T ENOUGH TO DETER OLE’ GEORGE.  HE BELIEVED IN HIS 
IDEA WITH ALL OF HIS HEART.

EVENTUALLY ONE WEAVER TOOK AN INTEREST IN GEORGE DE 
MESTRAL’S IDEA.  THE TWO BEGAN WORKING TOGETHER AND 
SUCCEEDED IN PRODUCING A WORKABLE PROTOTYPE.



IT WAS GEORGE’S PASSION AND ENTHUISIAM THAT SO INTRIGUED AND 
IGNITED THE WEAVER TO GIVE IT A SHOT AND WORK WITH GEORGE.



WITHIN A COUPLE OF MONTHS THEY PRODUCED A WORKABLE 
PROTOTYPE.



GEORGE MESTRAL THEN FOUND A SWISS LOOM MANUFACTURER WHO 
AGREED TO MANUFACTURED THEIR PRODUCT.  BUT IT PROVED TO BE TOO 
DIFFICULT, AND EVENTUALLY THE MANUFACTURER GAVE UP ON THE 
IDEA AND GAVE UP ON GEORGE!



SO NOW, GEORGE WAS BASICALY FORCED TO TAKE ON THE TASK AND 
DREAM, HIS DREAM ALONE.

FOR MANY, MANY MONTHS, HE CARRIED OUT VARIOUS EXPERIMENTS.  
BUT THE MONTHS JUST WENT BY AND STILL NO SOLUTION, AND NO, 
“ZERO” SUPPORT!


AT THIS POINT GEORGE LOST ALL OF HIS BACKER’S SUPPORT.  NO BODY 
STUCK WITH HIM.

HE WENT BROKE!


OUT OF DESPERATION AD EXHAUSTION, GEORGE RETREATED FOR MANY 
MONTHS IN A MOUNTAIN CABIN TO THINK THE PROBLEM OVER.


HE DIDN’T GIVE UP, HE JUST KNEW THAT HE NEEDED TO THINK IT OVER, 
AND BEGIN AGAIN.


AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS, IN SECLUSION IN THE MOUNTAINS, HE 
RETURNED TO HIS HOMETOWN AND IMMEDIATLEY RECONTACTED HIS 
FRIEND THE WEAVER TO DISCUSS AND PITCH HIM A NEW APPROACH 
THAT HE ABSOLUTLEY WAS CONVINCED WOULD WORK FOR HIS 
INVENTION.


SO, ONCE AGAIN HIS PASSION, COMMITMENT, AND ENTHUSIASM ONE 
OVER THE WEAVER AND THE TWO OF THEM, THIS TIME, BUILT FROM 
SCRATCH A SPECIAL LOOM THAT WORKED!!



THIS TIME A MAJOR INVESTOR AGREDD TO FINANCE THE ENTIRE 
VENTURE.  GEORGE DE MESTRAL DECIDED TO NAME THE NEW FASTENER 
“VELCRO.”
 

THE “VEL” FOR VELVET, AND THE “CRO” FOR CROCHET!!
GET IT??


THE REST IS HISTORY FOLKS.

IN 1955 HE PATENTED VELCRO AND BY 1959 WAS SELLING MORE THAN 60 
MILLION YARDS OF THE MATERIAL PER YEAR.  A HUGE AMOUNT FOR 1959.


CURRENTLY, HIS COMPANY, THE COMPANY AND IDEA THAT GEORGE 
BELIEVED IN WHEN NO ONE ELSE DID, DID OVER A BILLION DOLLARS IN 
SALES AND EMPLOYEES OVER 3,300 PEOPLE.


THINK ABOUT HOW AWESOME AND MAJOR THAT IS!!


BECAUSE GEORGE HAD THE FORSIGHT AND FORTITUDE TO STICK WITH 
HIS IDEA AND NOT GET DISCOURAGED, HIS LITTLE IDEA THAT COME 
FROM A WALK WITH HIS DOG, NOW SUPPORTS OVER 3,300 PEOPLE AND 
THERE FAMILIES.


GEORGE DE MESTRAL’S YEARS, EIGHT TOTAL OF PERSERVERENCE PAID 
OFF HANDSOMELY, WOULD’NT YOU AGREE?????????