About Us
fungrins, LLC Our company markets exciting new
products that are creative, fun and playful for kids and kids
at heart. Headquartered in Thomasville, Georgia our
company draws on the diverse and successful background
of our team.
We have extensive knowledge of the retail market and
utilize our network of customer and vendor relationships
developed over the past 20 years to successfully launch
brands and develop new products. Through jointly owned
companies, the FUNGRINS team members are currently, and
have been, involved with products featured on programs
like Good Morning America, The Today Show, Fox and
Friends, The View, HGTV and publications such as Better
Homes and Gardens, Real Simple and SkyMall Magazine.
Our group as a whole has over 75 years experience in
sales and marketing, successfully launching and branding
15 products in a variety of industries, securing 10 patents,
creating numerous NEW categories for the retail trade
resulting in over $250,000,000 in retail sales.
Our mission statement is reflected in our everyday lives.
We wear it on our sleeves. We live it. You will hear it in our
voices, see it on our faces and feel it in our efforts. We are
all about serving our customers, doing what is right, selling
extraordinary products profitably, building lasting
relationships, and having FUN!
Company Profiles:
Doug M. Vick: Doug is an experienced businessman
and entrepreneur. Doug began his career in the Home
Building Business. He built his first house at the age of
16 and spent over 30 years in that industry. Later, his
entrepreneurial spirit led him to co-found New Ideas
International, a manufacturer of home and auto fragrance
products known throughout the U.S. for their flagship
scented product, FiltermateTM. After successfully starting
New Ideas and growing it into a successful consumer
products company, Doug sold the company to Blyth Inc.
(NYSE: BTH) in 1996. Since then, Doug has been directly
involved with starting and managing several successful
companies, securing numerous patents and creating dozens of products for the
retail trade. Most recently, he
partnered with TV Goods, Inc and Kevin Harrington (of Shark Tank) licensing the rights to his Brightfeet Lighted
Slippers (www.buybrightfeet.com) for the purpose of
distribution into the infomercial / retail market.
T. Kevin Vick: Kevin has an extensive background in
sales and marketing, having worked for Flower's Foods
(NYSE:FLO) for ten years. As a Corporate Director of Sales
and Marketing he oversaw the continuing development and
brand management of their Nature's Own® and
Cobblestone Mill® brands with combined retail sales over
$500,000,000. Kevin's desire to pursue ideas outside of the
baking industry resulted in the start up of several
successful companies where he joint-ventured with his
father, Doug Vick. While having been involved in all aspects
of the start-up and operation of these businesses, Kevin's
strength lies in his creativity and new product development
skills and continues to be utilized with FUNGRINS in the
development of their new products.
John H. Bennett: John has been involved with the
start up, operations, and sale of multiple companies
primarily in Commercial Real Estate Development and
Investment Industry. Through these enterprises he has built
multi-million dollar projects where he was directly involved
with design, marketing, sales, project management and
financing. John previously spent several years in the
banking industry with Synovus Financial and Bank of
America. John brings a wealth of experience Internationally
after working on projects in Latin America and Europe
where he helped manage joint venture start-ups as well as
new and existing product developments and marketing
efforts.
R. Steve DeVane: Steve has been a founding
member of multiple companies with a focus in Commercial
Real Estate Development and Investment. Through these
enterprises he has been involved with multi-million dollar
projects including design, marketing, sales, project
management and financing. Steve also has extensive
experience in the Electrical Supply Industry, handling
National Contracts for industrial and OEM accounts and
successfully selling, marketing and negotiating while
serving his customers.