Whatever Happened To The Tree T-Pee From Shark Tank?
The sharks on "Shark Tank" see all kind of pitches, and if we're being honest, many of them could be categorized as "frivolous." Just to name a few examples, take a look at the Guzzle Buddy wine bottle attachment, the Extreme Sandbox life-sized construction play set, or I Want to Draw a Cat.
It's relatively rare for the sharks to see a product that can genuinely change the world, but that was the case when entrepreneur Johnny Georges went into the tank to pitch his product, the Tree T-Pee. Simply put, it's a plastic tree-root cover that both conserves water and provides protection against frost. As Georges explained during his pitch, a normal tree without the Tree T-Pee requires 25,000 gallons of water per year to thrive. With the Tree T-Pee, it only needs 800. That's a potentially fortune-altering device for farmers around the world.
Georges asked for $150,000 in exchange for 20% of his company. At the time, Georges was selling the Tree T-Pee for $4.50 each, netting him a dollar in profit per item sold. Kevin O'Leary felt that Georges' sale price left no margin for a distributor, so he exited the bidding. But Paul Mitchell founder John Paul DeJoria was so moved by Georges' presentation and care for local farmers that he met Georges' offer without making a counter. The two hugged and walked away with a deal.
Georges' episode aired in November 2013. Here's how Tree T-Pee is doing over a decade later.
Tree T-Pee is still in business today
Visitors to Tree T-Pee's Instagram page might be surprised to hear that the company is still in business since it hasn't been updated in 2017. But if you've been paying attention to Facebook, then you know the company is doing pretty great, as Tree T-Pee posts there pretty regularly.
Johnny Georges told ABC News that he received 56,000 emails after his "Shark Tank" episode aired — a testimony to the fabled "Shark Tank" effect. The company's website remains active and offers the Tree T-Pee for $9.95 in the black variety. It's also grown across the globe, with House Digest reporting that Tree T-Pee now operates in Europe, Australia, and the Middle East. Plus, Georges' little start-up has partnered with Tropica Mango Rare and Exotic Tropical Fruit Tree Nursery in Arizona to create its own merchandise.
Given that more than half of all small businesses are 10 years old or younger, Tree T-Pee is a definite "Shark Tank" success story. And as of September 2023, Georges was still receiving mentorship from investor John Paul DeJoria, which is no doubt incredibly helpful as Tree T-Pee continues to do its good work around the world.
"Shark Tank" is available to purchase on Prime Video.