The Hamilton Pet Liner Story
IT ALL STARTED WITH AN ACCIDENT AND A VERY SPECIAL DOG NAMED GEORGE
Lots of people ask me how I started the CargoLiner company. The story begins with something that was seemingly bad, and ends with something definitely good!
In November of 1981 I was on my way to attend a high school football game at a school I attended years earlier. I was going there to meet a bunch of old high school friends. On the way to the game a station wagon went through a stop sign, plowed into the car I was driving, and changed my life forever. Thirty days later I woke up in the hospital unable to speak correctly or walk without assistance. This was a result of a head injury from the accident.
For the next few years I spent many days at the rehabilitation center working on my speech and coordination and most importantly, my memory. Unable to work, I went to the local junior college to work on all my deficits and the re-coordination of my memory and speech. They predicted that it would take many years for my body to respond to my rehab program...if ever. But I was determined and my coordination came back much faster than expected. With that I was able to exercise and this resulted in a faster recovery. Good things started to happen. My speech improved along with my memory, even though I don’t think that will ever come back completely (I can now just blame that on age)!
During this time a friend gave me his year old yellow lab named George and for the next 15 years George was my best friend and constant companion. We went everywhere together.
In 1985, I began working doing odd jobs and a friend and I decided to start a pool & spa business building decks and putting in spas. I purchased an S-10 Blazer for my new adventure and had to figure out how to protect my vehicle from George's dog hair and claws (George was 100 pounds and went everywhere with me) and the pool & spa equipment I had to carry. I had to design a product that was unique. I needed a cover that protected everything in the cargo area that was made from a very strong material and was easy to clean. It also needed to be soft enough that George could dig in his claws and not slip and slide around the back of the S-10. So I hired a friend that was a furniture designer and we spent the next eight weeks testing many different designs and materials for strength, looks and cleanability.
After using many different designs and different materials, we discovered that heavy-duty vinyl (now used in the current CargoLiner construction) was the perfect material for our "CargoLiner." The first CargoLiner was born! Pretty soon I was getting asked by people I visited (and even people on the streets) where I purchased the product and I thought what a great opportunity there was to start producing CargoLiners for most of the popular SUVs and vans on the road. Then next thing you know, I quit the pool and spa business, started measuring the backs of SUVs and started selling my first liners!
Some of things I learned to be important features in the CargoLiner are built in to every product I manufacture and sell today: The CargoLiner vinyl is easy to clean, it is waterproof and very strong. By using our special vinyl, we can match the interior of any SUV or van to make a CargoLiner look like an OEM product. We design every product by bringing the vehicle into the plant to make the CargoLiner fit like a glove. Every CargoLiner is hand sewn and made to cover every nook and cranny that is exposed and that can be damaged by your pet or the equipment you are carrying. Plus they look great! We try to match our material as close as possible to your vehicle’s Interior so it looks like it belongs in your vehicle and you won’t want to take it out. When you buy a CargoLiner, we guarantee it for as long as you own your vehicle.
So me and George spent many happy years together working our new business. George loved it because he could go everywhere with me as part of our "design team!" George has since passed away but will not be forgotten. Since that time I have expanded my business to include other great products for the interior of your truck, Sport Utility Vehicle or van. We hope you like our selection and would love to hear your feedback on what you see. Thank you George for the inspiration.
Tammas (Tom) Hamilton,
Owner