Coronavirus Postpones Colorado Company's New Product Launch

BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4)- A Colorado company was hoping to revolutionize your next picnic, but the coronavirus has postponed the product's launch.

"My manufacturer contacted me right away indicating he was trapped, essentially, in his village, and would not be permitted back to work in the foreseeable future," said RovR Products Founder Tom DeFrancia. "Factories were shut down, even if a factory was open, many of the people that worked in the factories weren't able to leave their towns or villages to return to work."

RovR started in Boulder in 2016 specializing in heavy-duty coolers with large wheels and an abundance of features. This year, RovR was planning to launch the KeepR this spring.

"It's like an open soft cooler caddy where you can access all the contents that are in it very easily. It's got a vacuum sealed ice bucket (IceR) in the middle so you always have clean ice," DeFrancia said.

But the product is now delayed because production is delayed.

"Our planned launch was the first week of May, and now we're going to be lucky if we can launch by the end of June," said Defrancia. "This definitely hurts. Any time we have to lose some of that selling season, it definitely effects the bottom line."

The KeepR was set for shelves at top retailers like REI, DeFrancia says many of the retailers he's been working with have been understanding of the situation.

"A very little bit of this virus is having a huge effect on economies," he said.