CNB Marine Solutions An EZ Fix
By Patty Eng Photos By GH Andrew
B
rett Barrett knew there had to be a better way. A very noxious smell from the washroom, what mariners call the head, was engulfing his entire beloved boat. Brett knew it was a leaky joker valve in the marine toilet and the task of changing it didn’t thrill him. Plenty of boat owners try to ignore the smell as long as possible because changing the valve can mean getting raw sewage or toilet clogging material all over the floor. So what caused him to create a better way to handle this problem? “I have a mean wife,” Brett drolls with his dry humor. As Brett’s wife, Nina, challenged her mechanical engineer husband to fix this problem quickly, he began to think about what was needed to change the valve without the mess and in less time. After he worked on the design, he fired up the 3D printer he had onboard to create his very first EZ Joker. It took about three to four days for the printer to make the prototype which he was able to install in minutes. Now he would able to change it again in the future without sewage being spilled everywhere or performing the necessary clean-up after a typical replacement. A bright new idea was born. Realizing that other boat owners would need and appreciate an EZ fix to a messy problem, Brett created CNB Marine Solutions to manufacturer the EZ Jokers. “C” is for his mom, Carol, a huge supporter of the company and her brilliant son, Brett. Nina, the “N” in the company name, is actually not mean at all, just a no-nonsense mother and grandmother who doesn’t want their boat to smell bad or be awash in wastewater. Brett, a disabled veteran, is the “B” in the moniker, and wanted to not only have a creative solution but also a different kind of company that gives back to the community. Rounding out CNB is daughter Kodie Stafford who manages the office and sister Kristi Trent who is the website designer and master.
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Bay Area Houston Magazine | JULY 2022
