The TIQ Story
The idea for Harlan’s Trim-it-Quick lighting was born of frustration. Year after year, I would agonize at the process of untangling Christmas lights, testing and then painstakingly positioning them just right, only to find that one strand doesn’t work.
Holiday cheer = dashed.
One December, I was in charge of decorating the trees at our church. We began the process with the holiday spirit, but well over an hour had passed and we were still lighting (and fighting) the first tree. We were discouraged by how long it was taking to decorate, and we were unhappy with the unsightly mess of wires winding in and out and crossing over from branch to branch.
That’s when I said (out loud), “There’s got to be a better way.”
What if we could create a system in which each branch would have its own light strand? It would eliminate so much of the hassle and look worlds better.
I went home that evening and began sketching the idea. After constructing a homemade sample out of traditional Christmas light strings and masking tape, I showed the idea to a vice president of a major store chain. He loved the product and encouraged me to proceed.
Now, about four years after the idea was born, our lighting systems have come to market, and we are in the midst of a successful sales campaign. We have developed a product that looks better, has more density and tangles less.
And what started as a Christmas tree solution has grown. Our Trim-it-Quick lighting systems can be used for other kinds of trees, bushes, patio umbrellas and more. We even have a special solution — the only one on the market — for palm trees.