TOP 100 MAGAZINE

​Chris Pavlica and Kevin Consolo

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For Chris Pavlica and Kevin Consolo, some of the best product ideas begin with an everyday frustration and a simple question: Why isn’t there a better solution? Chris and Kevin have built FTI Brands LLC around answering that question, combining creative product development with the operational and retail expertise required to turn useful ideas into nationally distributed brands.

 

Founded in 2016 in Upper Arlington, Ohio, FTI Brands develops smarter cleaning solutions and accessories designed to make everyday tasks easier, faster, and more effective. Its breakthrough product, SneakERASERS, began when Chris was heading into a pitch meeting and discovered his sneakers had badly scuffed soles, with no convenient way to clean them. He called Kevin, and months of research ultimately produced SneakERASERS.

 

The product gained early traction online and in approximately 200 Harris Teeter stores. When Kevin became FTI Brands’ first full-time employee in January 2019, the company entered a period of dramatic retail expansion. Today, its products reach more than 57,000 stores and over 90,000 distribution points, with retail relationships including Walmart, Target, Costco, Dollar General, Skechers, AutoZone, and Meijer.

 

That growth reflects complementary strengths. Chris leads brand and product development, innovation, positioning, packaging, customer experience, and broader business strategy. Kevin oversees wholesale sales and relationships with retailers, distributors, brokers, and agencies while also managing the operational and financial functions supporting wholesale orders.

 

Together, they have transformed a garage-born idea into a multicategory business built around patented technologies, differentiated products, and a shared instinct for solving practical consumer problems.

 

From One Problem to a Portfolio

 

The lesson behind SneakERASERS became a blueprint: when Chris and Kevin encounter a common frustration, they look for an opportunity to eliminate it. FTI Brands has since expanded with TotalERASERS and is developing categories including AutoERASERS, GolfERASERS, Purse Wipes, and marine and boat cleaning sponges.

 

For Chris, the process sits at the intersection of product innovation, brand design, and modern commerce. He takes concepts from the workbench toward commercialization, connecting consumer demand with intellectual property, market opportunity, channel strategy, and long-term company value. Products are then shaped for Amazon, direct-to-consumer, retail, wholesale, and licensing opportunities.

 

Kevin brings deep expertise in retail chain sales, distribution, sourcing, and wholesale relationship management. His previous experience with ECRM/RangeMe and as a national chain sales manager provided firsthand knowledge of new-item reviews, major retailers, distributors, and the mechanics of getting products onto shelves. He has also helped develop FTI Brands’ private-label and licensing business and established supply-chain capabilities in Asia to support value-oriented retail channels.

 

Creativity Meets Commercial Execution

 

Before founding FTI Brands, Chris worked in the film industry as a writer and director. That creative foundation continues to influence how he approaches storytelling, brand communication, advertising, and the way products are presented to consumers and retail buyers. His work has helped produce patents, trademarks, brand assets, a television commercial, and the company’s “Save Your Soles” campaign.

 

FTI Brands gained national exposure as a Shark Tank contestant in 2021, but Chris considers what happened afterward more meaningful: proving that the business had staying power. The company was subsequently named to the 2025 Inc. 5000, ranking among America’s fastest-growing private companies and as the 57th fastest-growing CPG company nationally and 27th fastest-growing company in Ohio. In 2026, FTI Brands also ranked No. 20 among RangeMe’s Top Brands in General Merchandise.

 

For Chris and Kevin, continued growth ultimately comes back to the principle that launched the company: notice a real problem, create a practical solution, and build the systems necessary to put it into customers’ hands.

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Kevin Consolo: Co-Founder and COO
Chris Pavlica: Founder and CEO

 

FTI Brands LLC
Website: https://erasers.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/sneakerasers

Instagram: www.instagram.com/sneakerasers 

 

Kevin:
Email: kevin@erasers.com  

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/kconsolo  

 

Chris:

Email: chris@erasers.com  

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/chrispavlica