OnTray Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

OnTray Gives Parents Extra Hand, Or Two, When They Shop With Little Ones
Innovative and award-winning snap-on shopping cart tray is available in more than 200 stores in U.S. including Buy Buy Baby and Babies R' Us (8/09)and abroad

Columbus, OH (June 22, 2009) _ Every parent needs an extra set of hands -- especially during shopping trips with little ones. OnTray, an award-winning and ingenious snap-on tray for shopping carts, keeps little ones busy and stocked with snacks or play things while parents do the shopping. OnTray also can be used to hold things such as coupons, keys and cell phones, making it a genius multi-tasker just like today's modern parents.

The idea for OnTray (ontray2go.com) was born on a day when Laura Hamrick spent an exhausting and unsuccessful grocery shopping trip handing out snacks one-by-one to her three small boys, all the while trying to look through coupons and fill the cart. "I did some research on the web and found there wasn't a product available that would free up adult hands to shop and keep little hands busy. OnTray was born out of necessity,'' Hamrick said. "OnTray encourages your child to feed or entertain himself with what you place on the tray, allowing you to shop with minimal distraction and it also can be used in conjunction with popular cart seat covers, which is convenient.''

Three years after that shopping trip, OnTray is sold online and in more than 200 stores in the United States, Canada, Australia and France. This summer the patent-pending product will also be sold at Babies ‘R Us and Buy Buy Baby stores, via OnTray's national distributor, Hamco. OnTray, retailing for $7, easily snaps on to the standard shopping cart handlebar. Available in four bright colors, it is microwave and dishwasher safe and fits easily in a diaper bag or purse. The convenient cover keeps items tucked inside during travel. OnTray is manufactured in the USA of FDA-approved plastic, free of harmful BPAs, and it meets all new requirements of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, so parents know their toddlers and pre-schoolers can use OnTray with confidence.

From its beginning, OnTray has been featured and praised by business experts such as StartupNation and The Big Idea with Donnie Deutsch, national media and parents everywhere: "I don’t know how many times I’ve been trying to move quickly through the shopping aisles while trying to fish crackers out of a crumpled bag for my daughter. With this secure tray, both she and I are happier. This is brilliant!'' wrote a reviewer for Southern New Hampshire Parents. And praise even from celebrities such as Jason Reitman, the director of Juno, and father of Josie: "Fun product! We'll keep it in our car for shopping trips!'' Hamrick, who never intended to become an inventor, says she gets great feedback all the time. "I love when parents tell me OnTray is a sanity saver for them while they are shopping with their young children,'' Hamrick said. "I know it is something I don’t shop without and I hope it’s a staple item in moms’ purses and diaper bags.”

More about Laura Hamrick and OnTray
Laura Hamrick invented OnTray in 2006. She has degree in Early Childhood Development and is a former sales executive. Hamrick lives in the Columbus area with her husband and three sons, where she is founder of the Women’s Networking Group of Central Ohio. OnTray (www.ontray2go.com) has received numerous awards including the New Parents Guide Seal of Approval and was selected as one of The Top 10 Most Innovative 2007 by StartupNation in their Home Based 100 Search. Connect with Hamrick and OnTray through Twitter at @OnTray2Go and Facebook, www. Facebook.com/OnTray

Contact:
Laura Hamrick
e-mail: laurahamrick@42kids.com
phone: 614-313-0530 or 888-208-9240

Carrie Weir
WeirPR
carrie@weirpr.com
615-429-5538

Suggested story ideas

Laura Hamrick, inventor and owner of OnTray, would be an ideal source on a variety of stories, including:

+ How to take an idea and turn it into a patented, successful product. What you need to know and what you need to avoid.

+ Some businesses are expanding in a recession. A business feature offering tips from experts and small businesses on how to win during the down-turn. (Laura Hamrick's OnTray will be in an additional 133 stores this summer.)

+ How to pitch your product to retailers and customers alike with minimal effort and expense by using social media strategies and business-focused message boards.

+ A feature on cool and unusual gadgets and items that make shopping with the kiddos easier. Some examples, Dwink to keep juice boxes from squishing; Sippy Pal, a strap that keeps kids from throwing their cups; the Clean Shopper, to cover the shopping cart seat; and OnTray, to hold snacks and toys.