MONTEVIDEO - 25 January 2008 - 350 words
Catholic
student invents pedal-powered smoothie-maker
Former Stonyhurst pupil Charlie Stephenson, proved himself to
be a smooth operator when challenged to create a profitable business
within three months in a foreign country!
He invented the world's first 'pedal-powered smoothie-maker' which is now one of the sights of Montevideo in Uruguay where he is selling refreshing fruit drinks in the city's fashionable districts.
The venture came about as part of his Spanish and Business degree at the University of Bath. Charlie is currently studying in the Faculty of Business Administration at ORT University in Montevideo where he is doing a course on New Company Creation.
Charlie came up with the novel and amusing plan to build a bicycle-powered liquidizer that could produce smoothies. The company has adopted the name 'Smoove' a Spanish interpretation of Smoothie.
"It was a tall order, you might think, for a student getting to grips with a new culture, a new university and a foreign language but not for Charlie," said Jonathan Hewat, spokesman for Stonyhurst College.
The technology took its lead from a very traditional business that used to be a common feature of Montevideo the mobile knife grinder. This was based on a bicycle which, when mounted on a stand, could be pedalled and, by way of a variety of gears, drive a sharpening wheel.
Charlie and friend, Dan, took on the task of creating a new version of such a bicycle, where pedal-power could drive a liquidizer and, by adding a top-box for the ingredients, the mobile, pedal-powered smoothie maker came into being!
They then took control of the administrative and logistics aspects of the venture and the business is now up and running.
Charlie tells us 'Smoove' offers a healthy, refreshing alternative to ice-creams to people strolling along the Montevideo Ramblas and it is very environmentally-friendly as most of its energy is generated from the operator.
The venture has caught the attention and imagination of the local media and recently El Pais, the major national newspaper of Uruguay, ran a feature on the "bici-liquadora".
Charlie has been in great demand by local radio stations for interviews, and the 'Smoove' bicycle has become one of the sights on the Pocitos Rambla.
Source: Catlow Communications
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