Maxwell Silverbonde
Hailing from Kansas City, KS, Maxwell Silverbonde was the only child of a hardworking family that owned a small hardware store. Max was an outstanding student through his pre-college school years, but his family’s finances and working-class background limited his college choices to state schools. Ultimately, Max enrolled at the University of Kansas where he would graduate Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Polymer Chemistry.
He would also go on to earn his PhD in Polymer Chemistry from KU. All through his college years, Max worked in his dorm room and his parent’s basement on his dream of making the world’s best moisturizing creams and lotions. As graduation neared, Max had developed what he thought was a breakthrough formula for lotions. Turning down a lucrative job offer from
3M, Max took a $10,000 loan from his parents and started this own company, Silverbonde Lotions. Working out of his parent’s basement, Max labored 16 hours a day perfecting his formula. The $10,000 loan from his parents was enough to get his formula patented and a few hundred bottles of Silverbonde Lotion produced. Max’s lifelong friends in KCK who owned
small grocery stores and pharmacies, put his product on their shelves. It was an overnight success!! Nothing on the market provided the moisturizing and healing capabilities of Max’s revolutionary skin care product!
This success enabled Max to secure enough financing to get his product manufactured and sold nationwide. Sales skyrocketed! The uniqueness of his groundbreaking formula led to Max receiving his first Nobel Prize.
Silverbonde Lotions became a household name. Despite the financial success that followed, Max never forgot his working-class background and where he came from. His philanthropic acts were the stuff of legends, though he insisted that they remain anonymous. Never the one to hobnob
with the jet set, Max doggedly maintained his high school and college friendships. And it was one of these friendships would lead to a life changing event for Max. Max agreed to be the be best man at his best friend and college roommate Paul Sack’s wedding. The wedding was to be
held in Paul Sack’s small Kansas hometown of Beaver Falls. Paul’s bachelor party was held at the Slurping Beaver Saloon, which was the town’s oldest and best watering hole. In a fortuitous act of serendipity, a gorgeous young lady by the name of Honey Ridesum was working the
party in place of her friend who had gotten sick at the last minute. When their eyes met it was love at first sight! Max and Honey would be inseparable from then on. That’s in spite of the unfortunate incident with Max’s Mustang convertible. (See Honey’s story for all the details!)
Honey Ridesum was the youngest of 4 siblings, (Maverick, Willow, and Buck, with Honey bringing up the rear) and had lived out most of her life in her small hometown of Beaver Falls, KS. Oldest brother Maverick was her protector and treated her like a princess, always telling Honey she was the prettiest girl in the room. Buck however, took every opportunity to tease
Honey mercilessly and would say the NICEST things…. such as in reference to her birthday being on May 1 st – “You were so ugly when you were born, the doctor took one look at you and started yelling MAY DAY!!! MAY DAY!!! Her older sister Willow was vibrant and sassy and was her role model and someone she aspired to be when she grew up. Honey’s childhood had its share of ups and downs. Her parents divorced when she was just one year old, so she had no memory of her parents being together. While her mother pretty much swore off men, her father
joined the flavor of the month club and pursued any and every single woman that showed up on his radar. Her safe haven was the home of her grandparents, where she spent most weekends sleeping in the same room her mother had as a child. As Honey grew older she was friendly and
outgoing, but definitely tried to stay out of trouble – with her father being the Police Chief of Beaver Falls, she didn’t have much freedom to do anything but toe the line. Honey enjoyed school and always received good grades (except for that C in Geometry!). Thru high school Honey sang in the school choir, loved to read any book she could get her hands on, and
attended all sporting events dressed as the school mascot…. who wouldn’t want to be dancing in a giant hairy beaver costume for all to see?!? Her daydreams for the future included 3 career choices, becoming an archaeologist, working for NASA, or being Julie on the Love Boat. But alas, due to being terrified of most insects, spiders, and snakes, combined with suffering from motion sickness so severe she could become sick just weaving around a parking lot in search of an empty stall – all 3 career choices did not seem to be viable options for her. As Honey progressed in age, so did her thirst for history, travel, and adventure – even while fighting horrible bouts of motion sickness - Dramamine was her favorite travel friend!
After high school Honey went to a community college in a nearby town and received a full scholarship for being the school mascot while she earned her degree in Travel and Tourism. Upon graduation she spent a summer in Salinas, California working at a resort in Carmel and deciding what she wanted to do with her future. A family emergency caused her to return home to Beaver Falls, where she decided to stay and accepted a position with the Library/Tourism Department for Beaver Falls. It was a combination of 2 of her favorite things…how could she resist? In her spare time, Honey traveled as much as she could and picked up a shift now and then to help her close family friends at The Slurping Beaver…it was always such a fun place to be that it never felt like work! It was while she was covering a shift at The Slurping Beaver when she met her soulmate, Maxwell Silverbonde. Honey had dated visitors passing thru town before, but nothing compared to this! Maxwell was the perfect package of brains, humor, looks, and
charm – he checked off all the boxes. And Honey knew without a doubt she wanted a future with him after their very first date…and what a memorable day that was! It forever became known as “The Unfortunate Incident”.
Honey had woken up that morning excited for the day ahead. Maxwell would be coming by to pick her up early in the afternoon and taking her for a cruise in his Mustang named “Sally” before they met some friends for dinner and a concert later that evening. Honey had felt off kilter all morning with a slight headache – was it just excitement and butterflies in her stomach?? Taking a couple Tylenol would relieve the headache, and she convinced herself it was just excitement for the day ahead. Maxwell arrived right on time and escorted her out to his beautiful crimson red Mustang convertible – although her top was still up because the weather was a bit chilly. The fall foliage was at its peak, and nothing sounded better than a beautiful drive to admire Mother Nature at her finest. They had barely made it a mile down the county highway when Honey’s stomach lurched. “PULL OVER!!” Honey cried in horror. No..no…nooooo…..this couldn’t be
happening!! Max looked startled and slowed down, looking questioningly at Honey. “PULL OVER!!” Honey cried again and she tried to relax and take calming breathes hoping to calm her stomach. Max slowed down more to take the off ramp and find a place to pull off the road…but it was too late. If you have heard the expression “in the splash zone”, that described where
Maxwell was when Honey began projectile vomiting EVERYWHERE. It just wouldn’t stop! As the car came to a halt (being nowhere close to the pristine condition it had been mere moments before), Honey rushed to open the door to get out and continued with her seemingly endless
eruption. Finally, it ceased with an aftermath of horror. Honey couldn’t believe this happened on their first date! She began to sob as she took in the scene, not only was she covered in vomit from neck to shoe laces, but Sally….oh Sally!!! Front seat, back seat, front window, roof, side
windows…BACK WINDOW?!? Honey stood to the side as humiliated and embarrassed as she had ever felt. As she stood their sobbing “I F&%#* threw up in Sally!!!” over and over again, Maxwell calmly went to the trunk of his now not so pristine car and said “It’s ok, I promise, it's OK” and he worked on wiping up what he could. Once they were sure Honey wasn’t
going to have a repeat performance, they loaded back in the car and Maxwell cautiously drove Honey home. Maxwell waited while Honey changed into clean clothes and made sure she was settled before he left her to rest and get better. After a quick stop at the auto parts store for
extra cleaning supplies, Maxwell headed to the car wash for a through car detailing before meeting their friends for dinner to give them a play by play of the afternoon. Once Honey felt better, the first thing on her to do list was to purchase barf bags off Amazon.
Most young companies that enjoy early and rapid success have growing pains, and Silverbonde Lotions was no exception. By then a multibillion dollar enterprise with a Board of Directors and profit expectations from shareholders, the Board had grown a bit impatient with what they perceived as young Max’s lackadaisical approach to his CEO role. They rightly perceived that Max was more interested in formulating and developing additional products than he was in the day to day activities of running Silverbonde Lotions. However, they underestimated Max’s ability to
multitask. Especially now, with the support of Honey, Max was beginning to contemplate the possibility of other world changing products that his polymer chemist skills could create. Nevertheless, the Board wanted a “professional manager”, and they wanted it now! They insisted that he bring in a CEO who could make sure the company was run the way a
multibillion dollar enterprise was supposed to be run. A nationwide and international search ensued, with Silverbonde Lotions looking for the individual who could both harness Max’s entrepreneurial genius and deal with the business aspects that the Board demanded. The
first four of the five finalists for the job were either taken aback at the challenge, or felt that they wouldn’t lower themselves to take direction from young Max. The last finalist was a man named John Scuddy, who at time was the CEO of a large consumer goods company that made among other things, packaged snacks and soft drinks. The onsite visit to Silverbonde Lotions went well from Max’s perspective. He felt that he could work with John. John’s meeting with the Chairman of the Board went equally well. They had their man! When the day ended, Max was to accompany John back to the airport in the company limousine. On the way to the airport,
John was unusually quiet. Max told John that everyone was happy with how things went and that they would be preparing an offer. John was silent. Max asked what was wrong. John said he was unsure whether he should make the move. Max was shocked. Silverbonde Lotions was
already nearly as large as John’s current company, and had unlimited growth potential. Max struggled for a minute or so for what to say. After all, if they couldn’t convince John to join Silverbonde Lotions, they would have to start their search all over again. Finally, Max said to John , "Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling flavored water or do you want to
moisturize the world?" Those were the magic words! John saw the potential of Silverbonde Lotions versus his current company and told Max “You know, you’re right. We can moisturize the world together! I’ll await your offer!” Silverbonde Lotions indeed had their man!!
Flash forward two years:
Silverbonde Lotions is experiencing phenomenal success and Max has been recognized worldwide for his polymer chemist skills. The success of the company, however, has led the Board and CEO John Scuddy to think that they no longer needed Max at the helm. Instead of correctly recognizing her as Max’s muse, they mistakenly believed Honey to be a negative influence on Max. Besides, John and the Board were the ones who had marketed Silverbonde Lotions worldwide. The product was what was important, not Max. What did they need Max for now? There was only one problem … Max still owned 49 percent of the company shares which
would allow him to partner with any other institutional shareholder to take full control of the company if the Board moved to oust him. So instead, John and the Board decided to make an effort to buy Max out. A meeting was held. John and the Board Chair offered Max a price substantially above the current value of the shares. Since Silverbonde Lotions initial success, Max had always lived a comfortable life, but it had been far from lavish. This buyout would make Max one of the 5 wealthiest in the world at the ripe old age of 32. How could he refuse! Wait … there was a catch.
Max would have to relinquish the patent on his groundbreaking formula for Silverbonde Lotion and also sign a non-compete agreement to never attempt to make or market a skin care product that would compete with Silverbonde Lotion. John and the Board felt this deal would at last get Max and Honey out of the way. On the other hand, Max felt that the deal would at last free him to create the other products that his current duties with Silverbonde Lotions had prevented him from working on. And with Honey at his side, he knew they would be unstoppable! The deal was done!! Max and Honey were billionaires!
Beaver Falls, Kansas sprang into existence in 1889, when the first settlers to break ground in the area, the Beaver Family, discovered a nearby stream that ironically had a bevy of beavers as well as a small hidden waterfall. (Being the resident of a town with the name Beaver Falls…you
had to have a sense of humor.) Beaver Falls is renowned for the local bar that had been in business since the town’s founding on the Kansas prairie – THE ONE…THE ONLY…SLURPING BEAVER SALOON. Known for its iconic Beaver-licious brews and burgers, the Slurping Beaver Saloon is a hot spot for business meetings, bachelor parties, and just hanging out with
family and friends.
As previously described, the Slurping Beaver Saloon was the best bar in Beaver Falls. A person might say that’s no big deal given the small size of Beaver Falls. However, the Slurping Beaver Saloon would be the best bar in cities that were 10 times the size of Beaver Falls. The drinks were made with top quality ingredients … no well liquors were allowed … the bartenders were all outstanding, and the service staff was unmatched. Each bartender had developed their own specialty drink. Customers would ask when favorite bartender was going to be working so they could come in and get his or her specialty drink. Still owned by descendants of the original Beaver family, Sharon and Harry Beaver welcome locals and visitors from around the world to their establishment.
Maxwell’s best friend and college roommate Paul Sack came from Beaver Falls, Kansas where his family owned a small 12 lane bowling center named Hard Bull Lanes. Like most bowling centers in small towns, Hard Bull Lanes was more than just a bowling center. There was an arcade, an indoor mini golf, and a cowboy themed restaurant, the centerpiece of which
was a mechanical bull, much like the one from the movie Urban Cowboy. The mechanical bull was the genesis of the name for the center.
Prevented from developing or selling any skin care products by the non-compete in the buyout agreement Max signed with Silverbonde Lotions, Max instead began to use his world renowned polymer chemist skills to develop other products, this time under the mantle of his and Honey’s new company “MM and HG Ventures, LLC”. The first product Max created was a new type of caulk that was far superior to any on the market. It had twice the durability of silicon based products with the ease of application and cleanup of acrylic based products. Max patented the formula and he and Honey began to plan out how to bring the product to market. Max and Honey’s wealth meant they could manufacture and distribute the product without any outside investment, and without any outside interference. Just what the couple wanted when they sold out Max’s share in Silverbonde Lotions! But, what would they call the product? Anything with Max’s last name of Silverbonde was out since he relinquished that right when he agreed to the buyout. So, how about something simple. Something that would call out to home improvement people everywhere. How about “I’ll Caulk That”! Brilliant! I’ll Caulk That became a worldwide success. Billionaires before, I’ll Caulk That put Max and Honey on the scale with Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. In addition, this life changing product would earn Max his second Nobel.
The success of “I’ll Caulk That” didn’t stop Max from innovating! Always concerned about the environment, Max focused on a non-petroleum based lubricant that could help limit the world’s reliance on fossil fuels. Since it wasn’t based on petroleum it would be very green. Once again Max was successful in creating yet another game changing product. Variations of the lubricant can be used for everything from a car engine lubricant to typical household projects. Again the formula was patented by Maxwell and would earn him his third Nobel. The lubricant in its many forms is known by the brand name "I'll Lube That".
Tool Lines – I’ll Hit That, I’ll Nail That, I’ll Suk That, Man-O-Measure
Building on the success and name recognition of “I’ll Caulk That” and “I’ll Lube That” which are in virtually every hardware and mass merchandise store in the country, Max and Honey decided to branch out into various tool lines. “I’ll Hit That” and “I’ll Nail That” are lines of hammers, “I’ll Hit That” hammers are used by mechanics, “I’ll Nail That” hammers are for use by carpenters and roofers. “I’ll Screw That” is a line of professional grade screwdrivers. “I’ll Suk That” is a line of high quality shop vacuums. The “I’ll XXXX That” possibilities are endless. And then there is the unique “Man-O-Measure” tape measure. It has a digital readout and also a feature that
allows the user to easily scale measurements.
All of the products are of the top quality that Max and Honey insisted on. But for Max and Honey the money generated by these products is only part of the fun. In fact, it’s the least important part of it. What they really enjoy is bringing great quality, value priced products to the consumer. And since their products are all manufactured in the United States, they especially enjoy and take pride in providing high paid jobs to their thousands of American workers!
