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 Lawn
game becomes serious business for Destin airman
The Northwest Florida Daily News
July 12, 2009
By Jennifer Rich
DESTIN — When an airman is on a long flight over the Middle East, the mind has a lot of time to wander.
For Air Force officer and Destin resident Matt Butler, it was tossing around the idea for ROLLORS that got him to patent the new lawn game.
“I’ve always liked lawn games like bocce ball,” Butler said.
Butler played lawn games with his family while growing up, and his competitive nature kept his mind reeling about how to have fun with a simple game. Butler created ROLLORS, an “exciting game of skill and chance” as the slogan boasts.
The object is to give small round disks called ROLLORS an underhanded roll toward one of two cone-shaped goals to get as close as possible. Points are tallied by where a disk stops.
Butler got a utility patent for the game five months ago from a local attorney.
People raise their eyebrows when he brings the game to the beach or a barbecue.
“At first they go, ‘What is that?’ ” he said. “Then I sit back and smile while they play.”
Since 9/11, Butler said he’s spent half of his time deployed to the Middle East. He hatched the idea for the game a few years ago, but needed someone to help him make a prototype.
Production for the small operation has been by those close to Butler’s heart — veterans.
Like others, the economy has not been kind to veterans who were employed in the construction industry.
“They haven’t had any work,” Butler said.
So the craftsmanship that goes into producing a wooden 10-piece ROLLORS set happens right in a local veteran’s garage.
In fact, Butler’s efforts to get his small business off the ground have been focused on keeping all aspects of it local — producing the game, maintaining his Web site, having t-shirts printed and buying his business cards and letterhead.
He said he’s thankful to have job security in the military and hopes his venture can help out others in the community.
“That way, all of the money stays in the U.S.,” he said.
He admits that using local services has been more expensive, but says it’s worth it. One of the hardwood maple sets takes about two hours to make and sells for $85.
Many people have told him the price is a little steep and that he could make it cheaper out of plastic. But that’s not his style.
He said quality is something he can’t get away from because his job in the Air Force has him inspecting and evaluating new combat equipment all the time.
Butler has sunk well over $8,000 into his new business. He says he will keep it small and market it himself at festivals and craft shows.
He enjoys being his own boss for now.
“It’s not a big thing that I’m doing,” he said. “The return to me is somebody telling me they had fun.”
Want to play?
To learn more about ROLLORS, visit www.rollors.net
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