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Ventures, July 5

Bianca D'Angelo, Rocky Mountain News

Published July 5, 2007 at midnight

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SerMack LLC

• The drink shuttle

Price: $14.95-$39.95

Where you can get it: Web site

Business owner: Ray Serrano

Location: Centennial

Tidbits: After making several coffee runs for his daughter and her co-workers, Ray Serrano decided there must be a better way to easily transport several drinks at once, in place of the standard four-drink carton carriers.

Working with his family through trial and error, he eventually came up with the drink shuttle - a two-part system featuring a clear, plastic tray with foam-grip handles for carrying the drinks, and a tub for transporting and collecting spillage.

"The plastic tray is what goes into the establishment and is filled up with drinks," said Jessica Serrano-Lopez, marketing director for SerMack. "The tray is then placed into the tub and can be locked if a person wants to carry the tray and tub as a unit. But the locking isn't necessary, since the tub will still collect spills."

The drink shuttle is available in a four-tray junior size, and the standard six-tray system. In addition, each can be ordered with an aluminum J-hook to link trays together for added drink shuttling.

"I've gotten 16 drinks at once," Serrano-Lopez added. "It was pretty heavy but worked like a champ."

For more information: drinkshuttle.com or 303-794-0839

Best Buddy Pet Products Inc.

• The strock

Price: $18-$30.50

Where you can get it: Web site

Business owner: Lyn Townshend

Location: Longmont

Tidbits: If your dog or cat has ever been injured, then you're probably familiar with a lampshade-like object called an Elizabethan collar. And, let's face it, you've probably disliked it just as much as your pet did.

In 2005, after her dog Buddy nicked his paw in the backyard and began licking the wound, Towns- hend knew possible infection, and an E-collar, could be in Buddy's future. To avoid the trip to the vet and the collar, she sewed a sock to Buddy's sweater to try to prevent him from licking. It worked.

"Afterward, I saw the show American Inventor, auditioned for it and got called back," Townshend said. "They flew Buddy and me out to Los Angeles and we auditioned again. We didn't win, but the judges offered great tips on how to make the prototype better."

Two months later, Townshend had her final product.

The strock, made by a local manufacturer, features waterproof, nylon material with an absorbent cotton lining inside to keep wounds clean and dry. The elastic straps are adjustable. One goes over your pet's body, the other underneath, meeting at the animal's shoulder blade and attaching with Velcro.

Sizes start at extra small, and the five colors are based on size.

For more information: bestbuddypetproducts.com or 720-940-6892