The Founder
Robert (Bob) Roczynski, founder of Dry-Flush, was born and raised in the New Haven, Connecticut area, graduating from North Haven High School and attending the Porter Chester Institute to study engineering. This was during the peak of the Vietnam era.
The Inventor
In the meantime, Bob’s friend, Rodney Livingston, was a gifted inventor and engineer and veteran in the U.S. Army National Guard. After traveling 8,000 miles on a mission of mercy, Rod was struck by the extreme poverty and lack of access to modern sanitary water, plumbing and bathroom facilities in India. He returned to the USA with an idea to invent a revolutionary portable toilet. He pitched the concept to Bob, who embraced the vision and provided the start-up funds.
The Launch
Over the years, Bob had earned a Bachelor’s Degree from nearby Quinnipiac University. During the launch of Laveo, Bob asked a professor in the marketing department if her class would be interested in developing a marketing plan. The students were immediately fascinated with Laveo and jumped at the opportunity. The result was a 43-page study. The first step was cultivating a relationship with Home Depot. Within months, Dry-Flush became an authorized supplier, giving the new business immediate credibility with consumers. Then, Bob and Rod hit the trade show circuit, participating in many camping, RV, boating and home shows across the USA. On the foundation of craftsmanship in design and quality in manufacturing, Laveo sales took off. By 2021, over 11,000 had been sold. That’s a lot of portable toilets!