Larsen said they debuted the Shade Wagon at a California trade show in February and they have also launched a Web site, www.theshadewagonstore.com.

The sisters said the feedback they have received has been mostly positive, but some potential consumers have expressed concern about the $599 price tag. That includes the wagon and umbrella; accessories cost extra. Both women acknowledge the price for the custom-built wooden carrier is not low, but they are working to reduce the production costs to make it more affordable.

Thus far, they have sold about 30 wagons and hope to produce more as the economy picks up.

Mike Flaker, a 40-year-old father of four in St. George, purchased a Shade Wagon for his family a few months ago and said it's been one of the best decisions he could have made.

"You don't really realize it until you have the solution," he said. "We've been to the park and taken it with us … If we're planning to spend the day or even half a day, it's great!

"My kids play with it all the time. They are always pulling it out into the front yard and setting it up."

Flaker said that if the wagon lasts four or five years, it will have been well worth the investment. But he expects that it would last even longer.

Larsen still works part-time at the building company but hopes to have her company one day become a success, and she's been buoyed by the response from people who have seen the wagon.

"The funnest thing is that there has not been one person who has seen it — either at a trade show or people I've sent information to — that hasn't said, 'That is the coolest thing that I've ever seen,' " she said.

"It's fun that people love something as much as you do and can see such a huge need for it."

E-MAIL: jlee@desnews.com