Scensibles bathroom idea a hit for area business
Ann and John Germanow have made a business out of a taboo topic.
The Pittsford couple started Scensibles Source Co. in 2005, a business that designs bags and other items that aid in the disposal of feminine care products.
After being disgusted by the conditions in women’s restrooms, Ann Germanow knew there had to be a solution. “I knew I couldn’t be the only woman in the United States who was offended by these stall waste receptacles.”
The result is a mildly scented, antimicrobial and biodegradable pink bag Germanow designed with the help of her entire family. “You can only imagine our dinner conversations,” she joked.
Scensibles dispensers are installed in hundreds of public restrooms across the country, including the San Diego Zoo, the Washington State Ferry system and Moody Air Force Base in Georgia. “Anytime I went into a bathroom, no matter where I was, if I saw an unsanitary condition I would make sure I called that facility,” Germanow said.
Their first customer, Rochester-based property management company The Cabot Group, equipped many of its buildings with Scensibles because of plumbing issues. “We were experiencing expensive plumbing blockages from feminine care items at a number of our properties,” said Bruce Hunt, director of commercial property management. “The installation of the Scensibles system took care of the problem.”
According to Ann Germanow, the product’s other benefits include keeping stall waste receptacles cleaner, masking odors and easing concern of contact with germs and blood-borne pathogens.
Although the product is most commonly used in commercial restrooms, Scensibles also has sold thousands of units on Amazon.com, and just this week gained its first major retailer when the product was introduced in all 75 Wegmans stores, selling for $2.99 for a box of 50.
“We had them in our restrooms, and customers began to ask for them and wanted to buy them in our store,” said Wegmans spokeswoman Jo Natale. “There were enough comments that it made us take notice.”
The product also comes in a number of different dispensers, including a combination receptacle that resembles the plastic and stainless steel containers most commonly found in women’s restrooms, except they’re equipped with a Scensibles bag dispenser.
While many clients find the Scensibles product a logical solution, others have been a tough sell. “The majority of the people making the janitorial decisions have never been in a ladies’ restroom,” Germanow said.
For the customers that don’t purchase the Scensibles bags, the couple, with the help of Ann Germanow’s engineer father, has come up with an alternative.
Their newest product is a specially designed biodegradable liner bag for receptacles.
Although Germanow won’t disclose Scensibles’ sales figures, she said in the five years they’ve been in business, every year has had a significant increase in sales — even in last year’s trying economy. They run the bulk of the business by themselves, with two occasional part-time sales employees. John Germanow is in charge of bookkeeping and logistics, while Ann Germanow takes care of the sales and marketing.
“She’s the inspiration and I’m the perspiration,” he said.
As the face of the company, Ann Germanow has become an unlikely advocate for women. “I’ve become this spokesperson for an unmentionable issue,” said Germanow. “The best calls are when I hear from women, ‘it’s about time someone came up with this.’”
The company’s Web site is www.scensiblesource.com.
