Pair designs plant’s best friend

By Tom Giordano
Assistant Business Editor

Joseph Valenti Jr. loves to garden, but he doesn't like those pesky insects that can chew away at a plant's stem, seriously damaging or killing it. Frustrated with makeshift insect barriers made out of old milk cartons and newspapers, Valenti, 73, of Stamford, invented and patented a product that is used to keep insects (especially cutworms) from eating through the stems of garden plants. He calls it the CutwormShield.

"I had kept a garden for well over 45 years and just became fed up with the hassle and mess," Valenti said. "After I received the patent, I had a few made and they proved to work wonderfully."

The CutwormShield is a long, plastic plant stem-covering that is shaped much like a huge hair curler with "wings" on each side.

"When you squeeze the wings, it opens at the other end and allows you to slide it onto the plant stem. When the wings are released, the product closes, completely covering the stem," said Steven Valenti, Joseph's son. "It forms a complete barrier that prevents cutworms and other insects from getting to the stem at the soil level."

Joseph Valenti tried the device for a couple years, he said, then decided to patent it. He recruited his longtime friend, Don Studley, and the two started a company called JMS International LLC after Valenti's three sons, Joseph III, 44, Michael, 40, and Steven, 37.

The CutwormShield, which sells for $9.98 for a package of 12, is only available through the company's Web site, said Steven Valenti, who predicts online success for the product.

"When you consider the global market that the Web reaches, well, the CutwormShield is apt to be as fruitful as a well-watered tomato plant in the middle of August," Steven Valenti said. The Web address is www.cutwormshield.com.

But it's not like the invention of sliced bread, said one observer.

"First of all, what he has is not a new concept," said Richard Ashley, a professor of horticulture and extension specialist in vegetable crops at the University of Connecticut's Storrs campus. "People have been using homemade collars to protect plants from cutworms for decades."

"But what he has is a new design for a collar that is easy to put on and easy to keep in place. So he's being truthful when he says his product will greatly reduce damage to the plant," Ashley said. "Most of the home remedies have to be put on when the plant is planted. Since most of them are usually made of paper, which begins to break down, they provide protection only for a limited time. His product will work longer, it seems."

What happens if a cutworm climbs up the collar and attacks the unprotected upper part of the plant?

"Most cutworms are not smart enough to climb up to see what's there," Ashley said. "Occasionally, a worm will climb up to see what's on the other side, but not often."

Steven Valenti said Studley has an extensive background in business marketing and sales "and is the perfect complement" to Joseph Valenti's engineering and finance background.

Studley, 73, a Stamford native who resides in Avon, said, "The CutwormShield has proven to be a reliable protector of garden plants, especially tomato plants. This little device has tremendous potential when you consider the millions of gardeners out there who have the common problem of protecting their plants."

JMS' launch was planned to coincide with the 20th Anniversary Connecticut Flower and Garden Show held Feb. 22-25 at the Connecticut Expo Center in Hartford.

The CutwormShields are being manufactured by Polytronics Corp., a plastic molding company in New Hartford, Steven said. All orders placed via the Web site will be processed through a nonprofit organization in New Britain called CW Resources, "which employs people in need of work. They're all set up to handle shipping and receiving and credit card sales as a fulfillment house," he said.

JMS also plans to sell the product to various agricultural institutions and organizations, Steven said.

Valenti retired as superintendent of Northeast Utilities' Devon power plant at age 60, "then he relaxed for a while, played golf, did a lot of gardening and worked on his patent," Steven said. Studely retired in 1992 after more than 40 years with Northeast Utilities. He ended his career working for NU's spin-off company, Yankee Energy System Inc. Studley said he and Valenti have been close friends for more than 60 years.

"As a new Connecticut firm, one of our goals is to grow the company to provide jobs as part of the economic development in the state," Studley said. "This company's product was invented in Connecticut by Connecticut residents. It's made in Connecticut, and all those connected with the company and product are in Connecticut."