ProFile

wasn't strong enough and it was
too expensive to make and paint,
so we went to plastic."
ost in a flood of Beanie
"We" refers to Bob and his part-
Babies and other small
ner, Richard Schwartz of
stuffed toys, Bob and
Bloomfield Township. Schwartz,
Deanna Greenberg's grandchil-
retired from the furniture-leasing
dren made a request of their
business, took the invention to var-
grandpa: "Make us something to
ious cities to expose it to the mar-
keep our stuffed animals on," they
ketplace. So far, the two have
said. Six months later, the first ren-
sold more than 10,000 trees,
dition of The Tree was born.
according to Schwartz.
"It was a fluke," says Deanna of
The duo hope to create another
the plastic tree structure that helps
invention in the future.
children keep their toy critters
Many people often say to them-
organized. "The kids asked, and
selves, "Gee, I wish someone
he went downstairs to his
would invent a
Rich and
whatchamacallit for the such
workshop and came up with
Sch
wartz
it," she says.
and such.
and his
"It's those kinds of things
Today, the practical
par
tner
brown-and-green organizer
we're on the lookout for,"
hop e to
stands about 2-1/2 feet tall
says the 60-year-old grand-
bran
ch
out
and sells for $39 at various
father "wannabe." (All of
to more
metro area stores, including
his children are single.)
proj
ects.
The Tree is manufactured
English Gardens, some

Megan Swoyer
Special to The AppleTree

Branchin
Ou

A retired floor-covering distributor
and a furniture-leasing executive
grow a new hobby.

Hallmarks and small gift
by Shuert Industries in
shops, and Merchant of
Sterling Heights, where
Vino. Deanna, of West
workers helped Bob and Richard
Bloomfield, says The Tree also
with the final development stages.
can display small gift items and
It was a funny scene at Shuert,
candies — and it inspires imagi-
Bob recalls. "Everything in the
native play among children.
place is black plastic automotive
"It has been fun," says Bob, 61.
parts, except our bright-green
Retired from a floor-covering busi-
tree," he says, laughing.
ness, Bob exercises his creative
The Tree is in high demand,
energies a lot these days.
both in shops and at the
"When it's something you creat-
Greenbergs' home. Deanna says
ed and you see it take off...it's
her living-room decor normally
just a lot of fun." In fact, the
features two Trees filled with ani-
inventor would like to invent
mals. "But I recently had to pull
some out of the garage because
again.
"For now," says his wife, retired
my sister-in-law took two."
from the invitation business,
Bob and Richard launched
"we're just trying to make it
Demar (named after Deanna and
through Chanukah and
Richard's wife, Marlene)
Christmas." The couple has a rush
Enterprises and hope to take their
of orders for the holidays.
product nationally.
"This thing (The Tree) just hap-
As for Bob's and Deanna's
pened," Bob says. After about a
grandchildren — including Ellie,
year of tinkering and experiment-
Ryan and Jamie Lederman and
ing, he designed four plastic parts
Ricky and Leah Cohen — they're
that interlock at the top. "The first
working on the next way to, well,
one I made looked like a clothes
stump Grandpa. ❑
tree," he recalls. "Then I did it in
wood. That didn't look bad, but it

12/26
1997

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