From an Apricot Orchard to the Sasquatch MegaTree: JR Mattos of Mattos Designs

Before Mattos Designs, there was an apricot orchard in San Jose — over a hundred years in JR Mattos’ family, and the actual birthplace of the Sasquatch MegaTree, the Evo, and everything else you know his brand for.

In the newest episode of the guest interview series, JR tells the full story: the grandfather who got him into this hobby, the invention process behind one of the most-copied products in the space, and the gamble he made during COVID — betting a nonprofit’s last dollars on a drive-thru light show nobody thought would work.

It didn’t just work. It’s the reason Mattos Designs is a full-time business today.

Watch the full conversation above to hear it in JR’s own words — including the question he asked every furious visitor stuck in that two-hour line.

Guest: JR Mattos, Mattos Designs — mattosdesigns.com

This is part of an ongoing series introducing the people behind the products, shows, and displays across the holiday lighting hobby. [Link to other episodes in the series]