Bruce Douglas Clark

About

Bruce Douglas Clark

If I can do it, you can too!

Bruce Douglas Clark is a highly successful self-taught serial inventor and entrepreneur from Minneapolis, MN. He is known for inventing, patenting, and licensing unique new products—his most famous being the cupholder used in every movie theater and sports stadium across the country as well as around the globe. He is also co-inventor of a ladder accessory used in commercial and residential construction—an essential item that has not only been a financial success but also greatly improved safety for construction workers across the United States and around the world.

Despite describing himself as a “lackluster and aimless” high school student, Clark soon flipped that image on its head. In addition to being an inventor, over the past 40 years Clark has been a successful business owner and employer. He has owned and operated several auto repair shops, as well as multiple photography retail stores, and an In-Home Tutoring business.

Among his other passions, Clark has a winning record as a semi-professional race car driver and is an avid ultralight flyer and SCUBA diver. Highly competitive, as a young man he won a house on a television game show by studying trivia in People and US Magazines along with every “rendition” of Trivial Pursuit game prior to auditioning.

Clark is still an active businessman and inventor but, in addition, his passion today is helping other “dreamers and doers” achieve their own version of the American Dream. He believes strongly that our republic was built by and thrives upon free enterprise and the contributions of inventors and entrepreneurs across all walks of life. By helping others succeed with their ideas for a product, service, or company, he is certain he is helping keep America strong.

Bruce Douglas Clark at the metrodome

Only in America…
where your dreams can, indeed, come true!

  • Bruce Douglas Clark semi-pro race car driving

Racing

Driving a race car was a thrill, and worth the effort it took to fulfill that dream. From buying a 1-year old race car I could barely afford, to winning 11 out of 17 races and setting 3 track records, I learned a lot and expanded my horizons. What I learned included the hard lessons of crashing along with the results of a winning attitude.

The caddy cup holder by Bruce Clark

Cupholders

The frustration of having no place to put my popcorn and drink when I wanted to take off my coat before sitting down to watch a movie, was the genesis for my vision of a cupholder. I soon dreamed of cupholders behind every movie theater and sport stadium seat. I ran with the idea the next day and never looked back. It took 5 years for this dream to come true but today nearly every sports and movie facility in North America has my cupholder.
walk through railing system invention by Bruce Douglas Clark

Walk-Through Railing System

In 1998, I started a business with a friend inventing Fall Protection accessories for construction workers. That collaboration led to the invention of this ladder accessory, which is selling well to this day. It allows a worker to step through a ladder onto a surface instead of needing to make the dangerous move of stepping around a ladder while at the top.

Bruce clark winning a house on dream house

Game Show Winning

My wife and I had a growing family but we couldn’t afford a larger house. After a “by chance” audition and participant on Gambit with Wink Martindale while in Las Vegas, we ended up winning $100.00 cash along with $600.00 worth of coupons for Kentucky Fried Chicken and Bit O Honey, all of which led to auditioning and participating in Dream House with Bob Ubanks in L.A. Long story short, we won a house, including 6 rooms of furniture!
Bruce Clark parachute flying

Flying

I always dreamed of flying. At age 10, I built a large glider to fly in, but it failed. So, I took the front wing, strapped it to my bicycle and popped wheelies attempting to get off the ground. I did not end up flying my bicycle but I never felt discouraged. I knew that one day I would fly. Finally, at age 48, I bought and flew a Powered Parachute flying machine. I did that for 5 years, fulfilling another dream.

Bruce Clark's first auto-repair business | business advice for entrepreneurs

Businesses

At the age of 21, I opened my first auto-repair facility. This led me down a path of owning my own businesses for most of my life. After selling that first business because I did not want to be a mechanic the rest of my life, I accepted a position as Distributor with Snap-On Tools for what turned out to be a 4 year stint. I was honored to win Rookie of the Year my first year with the company, and the ranking of #2 Distributor in the five-state area my second year. Later, after getting promoted into management, I lasted two more years before realizing that corporate life was not for me. I left, and two weeks later I came up with the cupholder idea.
After the success of owning my own business and selling it for a profit, and inventing the cupholder, business and invention were in my blood. Over the years, I started five retail photography stores, an In-Home Tutoring Service business, a ladder safety accessory business, and another auto repair shop–all the while SCUBA diving, racing cars, traveling the world, and flying. You have to love a country that allows anyone to fulfill their dreams.