City native sees invention go national

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November 27, 2009

BY ANNA HERKAMP The Commercial-News Fri Nov 27, 2009, 07:27 PM CST

DANVILLE — A Danville native entrepreneur saw the efforts of the past few years pay off in big way when Time.com featured her product.

Monica Williams, who now resides in the Atlanta, Ga. area, is a medical doctor by training, but developed an idea for a business venture after becoming a mother three years ago.

She has her daughter Mackenzie to thank for her idea.

She noticed her daughter’s frustration when her pacifier would slip out of her mouth. Williams decided to try sewing pacifiers onto stuffed animals to see if it helped Mackenzie, now 3, hold onto her pacifiers.

It worked.

Now, Williams’ story seems akin to the plotline in the movie “Baby Boom.”

Williams is the inventor and chief executive officer of her own company that manufactures Pacimals, a combination stuffed animal and pacifier that allows babies to easily keep their pacifiers in their mouths.

The stuffed animals fit easily into the babies arms, so they can hold onto the toys while they’re pacified. The pacifiers are attached to the stuffed animal, and the whole toy is easily washable.

The joint that holds the pacifier to the plush toy has a patent pending, but the last three years have seen plenty of success for the product. Pacimals are now in 500 to 600 stores and can be purchased on target.com, amazon.com and several other Web sites. Other online retail will be coming soon, Williams said.

The Pacimal product line has been expanded to include the Paci, which is a replacement pacifier. The pacifiers will be a mass market brand that is a lower-cost option, she explained.

Williams chose to leave the medical profession — a decision she hasn’t regretted.

“It’s been a full-time gig since 2006. I haven’t had another job since I started this. I love what I do. I get up in the morning and I’m very happy to be me.”

Williams’ husband, Dallas Smith, is a real estate broker. He’s fully backed her business ventures and is supportive of her entrepreneurial efforts.

Time.com photographer David Friedman contacted Time after he took pictures of Williams recently.

She’s “over the moon” for the exposure of Pacimals and is happy to be next in the Time.com slideshow to the inventor of the Post-It note.

Pacimals employs three other employees besides Williams. The product manufacturing and packaging takes place in Anaheim, Calif., China and Ohio. Williams oversees inspections and assembly of the product at the warehouse in Georgia.

So far, the company is profitable, she said.

Janet Alexander, Williams’ mom, resides in Danville. She recently accompanied her to the ABC Kids Expo, a large trade show, in Las Vegas, Nev. in October.

“I’d been to conventions as an educator, but this was very, very large,” she said.

Alexander is a retired Danville District 118 principal.

“It was really surprising to see all the different buyers coming by learning about her product. I learned a lot about what she does, and that I have a lot more to learn.”

To show her appreciation for her mom’s support, Williams has named a Pacimal after her: Janet the Giraffe.

“It’s a pretty popular one,” Alexander said.

Mackenzie’s other grandmother also has her own Pacimal.

CHECK IT OUT

Visit Danville native Monica Williams’ Web site at http://www.pacimals.com/. See the Time.com feature at http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1935034_1981331,00.html.

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