Rock Doc Jayhawk: ‘Crash course in Business 101’ leads Kansas entrepreneur to Today Show spotlight

It was a dream-come-true moment for CEO Jim Gray — nearly 25 years in the making — when “Today” cohost Craig Melvin picked up a bottle of Rock Doctor on a summer episode of the NBC morning show and told the audience, “We use this in our house!”

Products from Rock Doctor’s lineup of stone cleaners; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News

“Rock Doctor is not a brand that flows off the tip of your tongue. It’s not a brand like Coca-Cola or Kleenex,” said Gray, owner of Rock Doctor and its line of more than a dozen consumer products. “But there was Craig, a guy back in the New York area, and he’s got our product. That’s pretty cool. It’s really what drives me day in and day out.”

The morning TV segment specifically featured Rock Doctor Granite Polish Spray because of its big win as the 2026 Good Housekeeping Cleaning Award for Best Stone Countertop Polisher.

But it wasn’t a matter of overnight success that put the brand on national television, the Prairie Village area entrepreneur said, noting Rock Doctor continues to fly under the radar at home in Kansas City — even after decades building the brand locally.

Cleaning up an opportunity

Gray didn’t set out to be a go-to stone-care guru, he said. But ever since he graduated from the University of Kansas in 1984, he’s been interested in consumer products.

Jim Gray, Rock Doctor; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News

“In the back of my mind, I was trying to think of something I could do on my own, a product that I could take out there and do something with,” he said. “Obviously, that’s easier said than done.”

By the early 1990s, Gray was working for Kansas City-based SpotShot in a national sales role, he recalled. Known for its carpet cleaner, SpotShot also had a variety of brands under its umbrella, including Rock Doctor. When WD-40 purchased the company in 2002, it was focused on the main brand. Soon, Gray and a partner had an opportunity to purchase the Rock Doctor line.

“We took the chance, but it was a crash course in Business 101,” Gray said. “Within 30 days, we had to come up a distribution center, an office, computer equipment and people. We were making decisions that I look back on and don’t know how in the world we did it.”

That was all in addition to making the financing and the deal itself work. But there was a bright side, he added.

“We had ongoing business. The phones were ringing as we bought the business,” Gray said. “So, from an entrepreneurial standpoint, we never had that period where you have no business and you’re trying to get it going. But at the same time, we were definitely thrust into a role very quickly of running and doing the business.”

When timing, drive collide

The Rock Doctor line had only been introduced two years prior to the acquisition. The new owners’ initial business model targeted professionals like fabricators and installers, Gray said, then he and his partner decided to target retail consumers.

The timing was right.

“Luckily for us, this was around 2004. That was when the whole stone category was beginning to expand,” Gray said. “Our biggest hurdle was when going to a buyer or retailer, they would ask, ‘Well, how many people have stone?’ Now, that’s the last thing they ask. I would say at least 50% of all homes have some sort of granite, marble or quartz. We’ve been able to ride that wave.”

Rock Doctor boasts products in retailers like Lowe’s, Bed Bath & Beyond, Menards and Ace Hardware. And it has a longstanding relationship with Canadian Tire. But Amazon has been a game changer.

“Fifteen or 20 years ago, we were all so beholden to the retailer,” Gray said. “If you had the greatest idea in the world, you were confined to going in and making a pitch to Walmart, Kmart or Sears. They controlled distribution. One big advantage today is that you can, through Amazon, have distribution and get into every household in America that is potentially buying from Amazon.”

The online retailer’s promise of immediate gratification can mean immediate sales for companies like Rock Doctor.

“That was the beauty of our Today Show thing,” Gray said. “Fifteen, 20 years ago, if someone saw it on the Today Show, they’d have to get in their car and figure out what store it’s in, figure out what aisle it’s in, and then find it. But when it was on, people were clicking on their phones, and hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of orders came in within seconds. I think there’s a lot more opportunities for that today than before.”

Products from the Rock Doctor line; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News

That’s not the only change since Gray started the company. His business partner has retired; Rock Doctor now offers more products than ever; and the company has a distribution center in Kansas City and a small staff at its Lenexa offices.

The team includes some commission brokers that sell Rock Doctor products, and there’s a third-party Amazon liaison. Then, there’s marketing.

“The whole marketing concept has changed with influencers and people who can get a product name out there,” Gray said. “You can really develop a cult following just through social media.”

It’s promising news for fledgling entrepreneurs, he added.

Future of consumer goods

Gray sees great opportunity for entrepreneurs interested in consumer products, especially if they can find a specific niche or unique capability.

“I would encourage anybody from an entrepreneurial standpoint. If they have a concept or product that they want to get out there, it’s actually easier today than it’s ever been,” he said. “You don’t necessarily have to deal with the Walmarts of the world and all their stipulations. You can grow something and get it going within the Amazon or e-commerce world — and you can become an overnight sensation. I would encourage anybody to try it.”