American wants 50,000 units of Fantastic Kalan.
(From Philippine Daily Inquirer)
SAN JOSE, Batangas-After the Inquirer Sundaybiz story on the Fantastic Kalan and its inventor came out, the little business was deluged with inquiries.
The potentially biggest order came from the United States.
In an e-mail message to Fantastic Kalan inventor Thomas Anceno, an American businesswoman said she planned to get at least 50,000 units of the stove, which she planned to resell to big stores in the US for the summer season.
The American offer was the biggest Anceno has received since the Inquirer story came out on Jan. 5. Another big order came from a group of restaurants, which wanted 800 units of the kalan.
Wallander's e-mail came on the afternoon of Jan. 10, just as Anceno finished his demonstration at the office of a local burger chain in Lucena City where the Filipino-Chinese owner ordered 800 units of Fantastic Kalan.
"Oh my God!" was Anceno's first reaction as he pinched his arm, "Is this really happening?"
The big volume of the American businesswoman's order could mean substantial sales if successfully sold in the US.
Fantastic Kalan sells for between P1,000 and P2,900, depending on the quality of the stainless steel used in making the body of the stove.
"But we are just talking of the US," Anceno said, "Orders from Canada, Europe, Australia and Asia could still come."
Anceno said he still has to patent the design of his stove in the US to keep copycats at bay. He invented the stove only in August last year.
Fantastic Kalan is the only charcoal stove with a fan and combines the fast-cooking advantages of a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) stove and the economical benefits of a peso-saving charcoal stove.
It can use wood chips, fresh coconut shells, charcoal, or any hard combustible materials for fuel and can cook fast.
Using the stove, a cup of charcoal can cook a kilo or more of rice as the heat it can generate reaches up to as high as 500 degrees Celsius.
Anceno invented the stove by accident when his attempt to manufacture activated carbon used in filtering tap water failed.
He was about to burn all the charcoal materials for the failed invention when the simple principle of furnace fire used by blacksmiths in making knives and garden tools gave him the idea to create the stove.
Seeking gov't help
He said he also plans to seek the help of the local government and the Department of Trade and Industry to start the mass production of the Fantastic Kalan that he used to produce on a per order basis.
"I could also tap the local labor force of San Jose to manufacture the stove," Anceno said, "This project can help a lot of out-of-school youths and jobless college graduates."
Anceno said he may tap graduates of the Technical Education Skills and Development Administration in the mass production of the Fantastic Kalan.
Inquiries from all over
A day after the story came out of the veterinarian who invented a peso-saving stove, Anceno started getting calls from people who read it.
"Clients who were interested to buy Fantastic Kalan even went to Bahay Bibingka to ask where they can find me in Barangay Pinagtung-Ulan," Anceno said.
Bahay Bibingka is located in Lipa City and is about eight kilometers away from Pinagtung-Ulan.
Anceno lives in Barangay Pinagtung-Ulan, this town, where his Fantastic Kalan shop is located in the backyard of their home.
People from all over Batangas province who had read the story also called this correspondent to know Anceno's contact number and address.
They all bought the stove.
The Inquirer main office in Makati city, and its website INQ7 were deluged with queries.
Anceno has been getting calls from Davao and Cebu.
"I don't know how to thank the Inquirer for what the newspaper has done to my invention," Anceno said, "I never thought Fantastic Kalan could get such wide popularity. I think it's time to have my own brochure."
Cost-saving choice to LPG
The Fantastic Kalan story came in time when the price of the LPG went up and people have been starting to look for a better and cost-saving alternative to the LPG stove.
"I'm planning to demonstrate what my stove can do to Energy Secretary Vince Perez," Anceno said. "That way, we can help the Filipinos save more pesos on LPG consumption and somehow help the economy," he added.
Anceno said he also plans to go all the way to Malacanang and ask for the President's assistance.
"I think the government should support Fantastic Kalan as this is a product of Filipino ingenuity and can help us lessen our dependence on petroleum," he said. Mei Magsino, PDI Southern Luzon Bureau
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