Issue date: 4/2/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Jennifer Fernandez

A Cedar City inventor was awarded $100,000 to help start a business after his invention was selected as the winner by a panel of investors at the Utah Economic Summit March 22.

Chris Culp, inventor of the Dump-A-Matic, beat out four other finalists at the summit with a device that turns any pick-up truck into a dump truck in a matter of minutes.

Culp said the device is easy to use and can be installed on any pick-up truck, regardless of the manufacturer.

The Dump-A-Matic is a large box, roughly the same size as the inside of a truck bed, which sits on eight wheels, Culp said.

When the truck needs to be emptied, the driver simply backs the truck up and stops. The sudden stop causes the box to roll to the back of the truck where gravity takes over and the box tips backward, dumping out whatever is inside.

The box is then rolled back into the truck by hand and is ready for the next use.

Despite the simple, low-tech nature of the Dump-A-Matic, the device beat out four other inventions, all involving computer software or the Internet, that were more technologically advanced, Culp said.

Culp, a 47-year-old self employed handyman and a high school drop-out, admitted to being a little intimidated going up against people who boasted college degrees and impressive careers, but said he was not surprised at all that he won.

"Stunned yes, but not surprised," he said. "I did the best I could, and I pulled it off."

He said a couple of times during the competition he felt as though he didn't belong there, but his confidence in his idea kept him from quitting.

"I know what I have, and I know what I can do," he said. "I want to change the world."

He said the idea for the Dump-A-Matic came to him after he saw a fellow worker at a tree service in Las Vegas accidentally drop a load he was hauling out of the back of his truck.

"The whole thing was really just an accident," he said.

Culp won the SUU Best Business Idea Competition in December that was sponsored by the SUU Small Business Development Center.

Craig Isom, director of the SBDC, said Culp's invention was both practical and needed and Culp was fortunate to be where he is.

"He's living a handyman's dream," he said.

After winning the Best Business Idea Competition, Isom said he encouraged Culp to apply for the Utah Economic Summit and is currently involved in helping Culp to grow his business.

He said the SBDC exists to help small businesses in Iron, Beaver and Garfield Counties succeed through education.

According to SBDC'S Web site, the purpose of the Best Business Idea Competition is to support the development of small businesses in the tri-county area and to promote healthy economic development with more jobs and an increased tax revenue base.

Isom said he was pleased with the response to the competition.

"There's lots of talent in our community and many untapped ideas and opportunities," he said. "We're happy to get the creative juices flowing and have so much interest in this kind of event."

The Dump-A-Matic will compete again on April 19 in St. George at the SEED Dixie Speed Pitch Event, where Culp could potentially win another $100,000 to further his business, Isom said.

More information about the Dump-A-Matic, including a video demonstration of how the device works, is available on Culp's Web site www.dumpamatic.com.

The unit sells for less than $1,795 and contact information to purchase a unit from a local dealer is available on the Web site.

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