Inspiring Conversations with Jennifer Wedeking of Splatmat + SplatSeal

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Wedeking.

Hi Jennifer, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
Looking back, I would have to say that one day we realized how much-unneeded garbage ends up in our landfills (plastics from painting jobs, mats that only have limited use, etc.). Not only that but there are so many houses that catch on fire every year due to the improper way of handling solvents. This is where we started working with a material called Polyurea. We then decided to make nonporous, durable, reusable mats that are solvent as well as chemical resistant.

These mats last at least 20 years and can be used for almost any messy project. (Crafting, Oil Stains from BBQ Grills, Cat Mats, Dog Mats, Anti-Fatigue mats, etc.) Because we produce everything ourselves we can guarantee that everything we make is non-toxic and VOC-free. Everything is sourced in the U.S.A. and produced right here in Boulder! As the years passed, we quickly realized that we needed to expand our business with custom builds as well as custom coatings. Our newest company splatseal.com allows onsite coating as well as foundation leak repair.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It was a large financial investment from the beginning. Figuring out what products were in need and what absolutely wouldn’t sell was an absolute challenge. Learning how social media works and just basically getting our products “out there” was not easy.

As the first three years went by and we were finally starting to see some success, CoVid-19 hit. That impacted our business in a way that I can’t even describe. Just keeping our small business open and not losing everything we invested was by far the hardest thing we’ve ever done.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Here at Splatmat, our goal is 100% customer satisfaction. Because of the high quality and durability of our products, we always see a smile on our customer’s faces. All of our products are made of polyurea (a 100% closed cell elastomer), are non-porous, chemical as well as solvent resistant, VOC free, and 100% non-toxic. For a better understanding of what we do, we divided our companies into 4 areas.

1. Mats, mats, and more mats! BBQ mats to catch the oil spills from the drip trays or while cooking, Kids Craft mats, Dog Mats, Cat Mats, Boot Trays, reusable Drop Cloths, Anti-Fatigue mats, Garden Mats, Hobby Mats, large Diamond Plate Mats for working on vehicles, bicycles, etc., Parts Trays with Magnets, coated Magnets which hold up to 35 pounds for dirty tools, Work Out mats, etc.

2. Custom Builds. Coated logos to increase sales, coated custom sword stands, coated hunting boxes, coated sandboxes, coated package drop-off boxes for porches, etc. If you can dream it, we can build it!

3. Custom Coatings. If you are already in possession of something which needs to be made more durable, bring it to our shop and we will custom-coat it for you. Doors, handrails, golf cart tops, table tops – you name it and we’ll coat it. That way you no longer have to be worried about repainting or weatherproofing things. Even if it’s a surface area that needs to be disinfected, it can all be done here – 100% nonporous!

4. On-site paint and foundation leak repair. Just purchase the kit, mix it and fix any holes in your foundation. Paint it onto the top of your RV as a waterproofing barrier. Paint it onto the inside of your Toy Haulers to avoid odor cross-contamination (e.g. gasoline, oil) into your sleeping quarters. Use it on your open trailer bed so you don’t have to keep replacing the wooden boards because we all know what the wear and tear of weather can do!

What do you think about luck?
This is a question that is impossible to answer. Bad luck can always lead to good luck and vice versa. There is always something to be learned from a situation that didn’t go as anticipated. As far as I see it, life is a learning experience. I am very grateful for my husband, who has helped me build this company since day one. He always says that I am the heart and the soul of our companies, but deep down I think it is him!!

The amount of wonderful people we were fortunate enough to meet along our journey and the ideas as well as connections they have granted us, is amazing! If I would have to mention anything negative, it would be CoVid-19 as well as the lockdown(s) – I feel like it took a large impact on all of us, and feel like we are no exception regarding this matter.

The one positive thing that resulted from this time, was that we used it to our advantage to become better at R&D, concept new products, and open our second company.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.splatmat.com
• Instagram: @splatmat_ltd
• Facebook: @splatmat
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@splatmatltd