The Treemote™ Story
The story of how it all began...
It was December 2011, on a cold winters night. Martin Schenk, a local Contractor and Builder based out of Victoria, B.C. came home after a long day at work. He noticed his wife Shelby halfway under the Christmas Tree on her hands and knees, in and amongst all the gifts, trying to plug in the Christmas tree lights. He thought to himself…there has got to be a better way! Just then he said out loud, “What about a Treemote™! A remote control for the Christmas tree lights!”
After spending some time doing his research, Martin found that there was nothing else quite like it available on the market.
It was then that Martin realized Treemote™ was the perfect name for such a perfect idea and was well on his way to develop a plan to make the first prototype.
The first prototype was made of wood, roughly the size of an iPhone. It was soon made into a smaller, sleeker version, and the Treemote™ was born.
Original wooden prototype & Treemote™ today!
In 2014, Treemote™ debuted in Canadian Tire stores, and some pharmacies and grocery stores across B.C. and sold out everywhere.
The following year, they expanded the business and line productivity, selling to many more retailers throughout Canada, and by 2016 Treemote™ increased sales into the United States.
Martin and Shelby made appearances on the Dragon’s Den T.V. series to pitch the invention of the Treemote™ on Seasons 7 & 9 resulting in one of the Dragon’s offer to invest. They were later asked to return to film a segment for Season 11 called “where are they now”, which aired in 2017.
More recently, Martin decided to expand the Treemote™ brand, making an outdoor version, UL Rated for extreme winter weather, and with that, came a new little cozy design. Treemote Outdoor™ remote switch is designed and looks like a gingerbread house, with Christmas lights lighting up on the roof line of the house when the remote’s on/off buttons are pressed. Why would you go outside in the cold when you could turn your outdoor lights on and off remotely from the comfort of your home.
It was a real hit that first Christmas, as Martin gifted an original Treemote™ to his Father-in-law at the family gift exchange.
With Treemote™ fast becoming a popular household name, Treemote™ and Treemote Outdoor™ have made the task of turning all your Christmas lights on and off an enjoyable one, all with the click of a button!