Mather's personal best was 132 m.p.h. heading into a turn at Summit Point Motorsports Park in West Virginia operating a BMW 540i. That adrenaline-juiced ride in 2002 is why the retired chemist, with more than 30 years in the pharmaceutical business, was sitting in the conference room of a Conshohocken office building last week talking about his quest to better protect the motoring public.
His focus was a small contraption designed to be added to a standard seat belt. It was what enabled Mather, 63, of Landenberg, Chester County, to handle that Summit Point turn at such a high speed while remaining firmly in his seat. He invented the CG-Lock as an aftermarket correction to what he says is a deficiency in traditional lap belts in most passenger cars - too much slack.
Slack allows for improper positioning of belts, resulting in greater potential for injury in an accident, he and car-safety experts agree.
At $59.95, Mather's belt add-on is about one-fourth the cost of the cheapest harnesses, not to mention far more practical to wear.
None of that has been lost on the local investor community, which has had rave reviews for Lap Belt Cinch Inc. and its creations - including tighteners for belts on child booster seats marketed under the name SeatSnug for $34.95.
Mather's frustration: Investor money has not followed all that praise the last year or two.
"We've demonstrated applicability in several markets, we've demonstrated consumer acceptance, we've demonstrated our price points are good," he said. "All we're lacking really is the promotional dollars to push it out there."
The company is looking for $1 million to $1.5 million.
