Young Entrepreneur, 13, Makes $100K With Scooter Parts Company
Nicholas Pinto, 13, of Cranford, began avidly riding his scooter a few years ago and realized how quickly his wheels would break.
He thought, how come wheels that cost a decent amount of money are not able to withstand exactly what they are made for?
So, Pinto decided to create his own.
Pinto started LB Scoots about two years ago. He originally created wax for skateboarding and riding a scooter, but really advanced the company with the creation of the scooter wheels. In just one year, he made about $100,000 from the sale of the wheels, he and his mother said.
It’s simple. Pinto is creating wheels that last much longer than most of the famous brands, but for only $20 each. Wheels similar by bigger brands can run about $50, he says, but are not nearly as good.
“I feel like other companies are in to just to get money,” he said. “They are not focused on the quality.”
He and his small team of about five people work with a distributor that only makes scooter wheels for LB Scoots. The distributor was unfamiliar with how to even make scooter wheels, but Pinto was confident that the product they made would be durable and last longer as a scooter wheel, so they drew up the designs so they could create a wheel.
“I’m pretty sure no one else on the market is using the same product,” he said.
The wheels Pinto used to ride with lasted him about two to three weeks, but the LB Scoots wheels last a long time, he said, unable to even remember when he last changed them. He also pointed out that when riding on a cement street, wheels wear down faster compared to a skate park.
Pinto’s distributor is based in California and makes a quality product, he said.
“I want to help kids by having a wheel that lasts long and is affordable,” Pinto explained.
LB Scoots is making 100-millimeter wheels, with 110-millimeter wheels in production. The company is now working on a fork for scooters and Pinto hopes to expand the business moving forward.
Pinto also sponsors a team of East Coast scooter riders, supporting his other passion of film and photography. He travels to skate parks all over to make promotional videos of riders. Also, if he attends a competition, the sponsor or skate park will pay him to make a promotional video of the day’s events.
Since Pinto is based on the East Coast, he will send T-shirts and wristbands to other riders across the country to promote his brand.
Besides riding his scooter, skateboarding, filming and editing, Pinto is also really interested in school. Right now, he is home-schooled because he feels he can get his work done more quickly and have more time to focus on his company. He hopes to attend college and study business to further the company.
LB Scoots is named after the Pinto’s dog, which they call Little Boy.
Pinto’s 10-year-old sister Francesca also possesses an entrepreneurial spirit by running her own company of duct tape products called, Duct Tape Dreams.
The siblings bounce ideas off of each other and help each other out. Francesca even amps up Nicholas’ gear with duct tape designs.
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