Electrical Connectors – Melni Connectors

Even though Mark Melni runs a family electronics store, he probably never thought he’d be making and selling electrical connectors. Mark’s a concert pianist – not an electrician. Nonetheless, his familiarity with electronics led him to an “AHA moment” when he saw how much labor went into crimping wires for making electrical connections or splices.

He envisioned Chinese handcuffs, or finger cuffs, as a connection method. Chinese handcuffs get tighter as you try to pull them apart. Melni thought he’d have better electrical connectors if he could do the same thing with wires. That’s just what he did.

The resulting electrical connector can splice wires in one tenth the time over the old method. The Melni Connectors are able to withstand 40,000 volts of electricity and they can be buried in the ground. In time savings alone, using Melni Electrical connectors can save thousands of dollars in labor costs. The way they’re made also makes for a more durable connection, meaning there’s less likelihood they’ll need repair in the future.

My Take on Melni Electrical Connectors

What Mr. Melni invented is definitely a leap forward for electrical connectors. The Melni Connector is to electrical connectors what the USB port is to computers. He created a way to quickly and efficiently splice wires without a lot of labor required. Remember when you needed to screw a printer cable into the back of a computer? It took a few minutes and it was a cumbersome task; the USB port made it as simple as plugging in a toaster.

The time saved is a big selling point for Melni, just as it is with the USB port. While a few minutes may not seem like much, if an electrician had to do 40 splices on a job, saving ten minutes (or more) per splice adds up to over 6 hours in time saved – that’s significant.

The thing about this product is, while it is revolutionary, it isn’t “sexy.” Compared to many of the products and inventions that appear on Shark Tank, the Melni Connector is a bit vanilla. That’s not to say it’s not a fantastic product – it is. Melni created a real game changing piece of hardware that could eventually find its way into every wired building in the USA or even the world. The universal utility of the Melni Connector is what makes it Shark Tank worthy. Any time a product completely changes the way a task is accomplished for the better will automatically make it relevant.

Will Sharks Connect with Melni?

The Sharks should recognize the potential for Melni Connectors. The product can literally be used anywhere there are electrical connections. Melni probably needs help scaling manufacturing which the Sharks can help with. If Mr. Melni demonstrates he can sell the product without a lot of hand-holding, he ought to have the Sharks in a feeding frenzy.

Any Shark will want a piece of this – perhaps we’ll see another 5 Shark collaboration. If Melni Connectors don’t get a deal, it will be a shock.