“I was gardening and absolutely hated my last job, the collection of the rubbish, and I thought there must be an easier way to eliminate the clean up process,” she says.
The result was Multimat, a clever, practical and simple product which makes picking up the rubbish so much easier.
Born in Sydney and educated at Dover Heights Girls High she became a bookkeeper when she left school before trying a wide variety of work. She and her husband Robert decided in 1980 to move into retail and wholesale and followed with stints in newsagencies, commercial bread runs, gift stores and a distribution business.
Then 15 years ago they moved to Wombarra to a property with outstanding views over the adjacent ocean and decided to settle back and relax. “ I suppose it was a natural move for me having lived by the water for most of my life at Bondi and Coogee,” Judy says.
But, back to Multimat which, Judy says, you simply lay on the ground before gardening and all the rubbish is collected in one pile. Then all you have to do is bring the four tabs together, pick it up and deposit it in the bin.
Made from heavy duty PVC and water proof the mats also have a host of other effective uses. She has already used it as a ground sheet, beach mat and tradesman’s collection mat.
“It’s up to your imagination to expand the uses,” she suggests.
Following the success of Multimat Judy developed one for her grandchildren. Naturally, it is simply called Multimat Kids.
She points out that the mats offer an incentive for children to help clean up around the home, and there’s also a colourful game for them to play printed on their mats. “It’s also great for under high chairs or when the kids are painting preventing spills from going onto the floor,” she adds.
Marketing poses some problems
Judy says the initial stages of marketing the product have been slow, but she and husband Robert are using past business experiences to improve this situation.
They have already displayed the product at various markets and a trade show, and you can see its value on line @ www.multimat.com.au or contact Judy on wombarrrabythesea@yahoo.com or by phoning her on 0410320750.
“Multimat makes a unique gift for Father’s Day and can be purchased for only $19.95”, Judy suggests.
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