Shirley Pepys launching new company at ABC
Staff -- Kids Today, 9/1/2007 12:00:00 AM
Juvenile industry veteran Shirley Pepys is returning to the scene with a new company set to debut at the ABC Expo this month.
Pepys, co-founder of soft goods company NoJo, and her son, Noel, have joined together to form Balboa Baby. The first product from the manufacturer, the Serene Sling, will be showcased at the Expo. The sling has a one-piece pocket design with a wide shoulder strap that evenly distributes the baby's weight and offers four carrying positions. The washable sling is made of a patent-pending breathable knit fabric, and it has no buckles, ties or straps. It folds to fit in a diaper bag.
The product and technology were developed by T-Rex, and the sling is already being sold in Japan, where T-Rex is based.
The Serene Sling, offered in several colors and prints, retails for about $100 and is targeted to independent specialty retailers, Internet retailers and national chains. Shipping is scheduled for November.
The sling has been endorsed by author and pediatrician Dr. William Sears. "The flexible knit sling stretches and moves with mother and baby and is the perfect solution for breastfeeding, errands, travel and when you and your baby just want to be close," he said.
Although Shirley Pepys and her partner sold NoJo, Pepys has remained a part of the juvenile industry. Her daughter, Renee Pepys Lowe, started her own infant bedding company, Cocalo, in 1998, and Pepys herself later opened and sold a store that focused on collectibles and offered space for children's parties on Balboa Island in Newport Beach, Calif.
Pepys said it was the right time to get back into the business.
"Combining family with the business I love is the realization of my dreams," she said. "Our children have grown up in the business, and we've always tried to instill in them the appreciation of change as inevitable... (So) when my son Noel came to me wanting to start a new company, I had to jump in."
Shirley Pepys formed the new company with son Noel.
The Serene Sling has four carrying positions.
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