Help for Hangovers? It's in the Drink

RPTA Grad Markets New Post-Partying Drink Throughout Midwest

By Stacey Becker, student writer

Tom Pemble MS '96 is living his dream running his own business-selling a drink claiming to prevent hangovers.

Pemble, who received his master's degree in recreation, park and tourism administration (RPTA) from Western in 1996, is the laid-back founder and CEO of the Peoria-based company DTK LLC, which sells After Hours, or AH (as in "ah that's refreshing.")

AH is distributed by independent and national distributors in Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Iowa.

"We were just picked up by Pepsi and Miller Lite throughout Michigan," Pemble said.

Pemble acknowledges that the idea for his career niche came from experience.

"My extracurricular activity in college was beer," he said.

With inspiration from an old college friend and the help of some scientists and chemical engineers, Pemble, a Canton, Ill. native, learned about the ingredients needed for his anti-hangover drink.

He mixed a unique concoction of vitamins, minerals and electrolytes to create the drink that boasts it will immediately start to replenish and rehydrate the body. The anti-hangover beverage comes in three cleverly named flavors: Last Call Lemon, Bedtime Berry and Good Night Grape.

"AH will help any type of hangover, fatigue or exertion of any kind," Pemble said. "It's an obvious great alternative to sports drinks that have too many sugars, and to boring water."

The company's website, www.tasteah.com, invites viewer to "try it for jet lag too."

"I encourage thinking outside the box. Fun is mandatory."
-Tom Pemble MS '96

But before Pemble's drink could be placed on store shelves throughout Galesburg, Champaign, Peoria and Bloomington, he needed to overcome the challenges of distribution and marketing.

"There are many more challenges than one would think," he said.

Pemble and his company tested the new drink with the help of six seniors from Bradley University in Peoria.

"The six marketing and business students conducted a 75-page complete study of AH's effects as well as tastings and samplings," Pemble said.

"This was a six month study that revealed that what we had hoped for was true: no competition and love for the product."

The company also tested AH at WIU and other central Illinois universities.

Pemble's easygoing attitude permeates his company's environment.

"I encourage thinking outside the box and testing is always encouraged," Pemble said. "Fun is mandatory as well as dressing as casual as you like."

One employee echoed Pemble's easygoing and sometimes humorous nature while giving his own take on the company's working environment.

"No one comes to work with a hangover," Matt Littlejohn, AH's art director, joked.

Pemble received his bachelor's degree from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. Although he always had aspirations to own his own business, he needed a little encouragement from a professor at WIU to take the right path.

"Sometimes the path in front of you is not the one you take. Sometimes the path finds you," Pemble said.

Pemble's path led him into the office of Nick DiGrino, WIU RPTA professor and associate dean of the College of Education and Human Services (COEHS). With DiGrino's help, Pemble applied for and received a scholarship to attend graduate school.

Graduate school forced the once free-living Pemble to "buckle down harder" than he had done ever before. The RPTA program at Western taught him to be diligent and finish whatever he started-skills that would prepare him well for running his own business.

"When I was in graduate school the heat turned up. I had a full-time job and worked at the WIU golf course, on a campaign to get an appellate court judge elected and as a waiter in my hometown," he said.

Some Western faculty members, like RPTA professor Michael McGowan, knew Pemble had potential.

"As a graduate student Tom was inquisitive, being philosophically argumentative while seeking the truth," McGowan said.

Pemble saw the truth in one of McGowan's sayings.

"He talked about how a lot of what you learn in life is not rocket science, it's much harder than rocket science because it deals with human nature," Pemble said. "Starting your own successful company takes much of this into account."

Many professors at WIU remember Pemble's easygoing sense of humor with fondness.

"I still have a coconut Tom sent the department as a postcard thanking us from his internship in Hawaii," said McGowan.

 

Articles  |   1  |  2  |  3  | More... |