Update: Gilbert-based scorpion fighters Slick Barrier land funding deal on ABC's 'Shark Tank'
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A Gilbert-based company is looking to generate national buzz and potentially score a funding deal from a group of celebrity investors on ABC's "Shark Tank."
Slick Barrier founders Aaron Gonzales and Tony Gonzales will be appearing on the Jan. 27 episode of the show where they will showcase the company's patented clear coating intended to keep crawling pests — like scorpions — out of homes and businesses.
The two childhood friends – who are not related – created Slick Barrier after Aaron Gonzales and his wife purchased their dream home in Gilbert, only to discover it was infested with Arizona bark scorpions.
“The first summer we were there, we were seeing two to three a week,” Aaron Gonzales said. “I ended up getting stung. Luckily, my wife and son never did, but my wife was fed up with it.”
Gonzales tried to eradicate the problem via sealing his home and pest control companies, but neither was a permanent fix, he said.
“I told Tony about it and said, ‘Hey, I've got this idea. I’m trying to figure out how to protect our house from these things getting in,'" he said. "If I could find a coating that’s really smooth, they can’t climb up smooth surfaces.”
Shortly thereafter, Tony Gonzales’ son was stung by a scorpion while getting out of a pool and had to be rushed to the hospital, prompting him to team up with Aaron to create what would become Slick Barrier’s product to seal out pests.
“It was traumatic, and his son had a horrible reaction to it,” Aaron Gonzales said. “He called me up and said, ‘Yeah, let’s see if we can figure this out.’”
Slick Barrier raises more than $1M capital
Aaron Gonzales experimented with various coatings, including epoxies and polyurethane varnishes, prior to partnering with a chemist to create Slick Barrier.
The two co-founders in 2018 launched Scorpion Repel, a pest control company that offered application of the clear barrier — which dries smooth like glass — to homes.
"We had a couple of pretty good years with it and kept growing it,” Aaron Gonzales said of the company.
In late 2022, Slick Barrier released its pest control products, which include water-based and solvent-based barriers, direct to consumers. The co-founders' other pest control business entity, Scorpion Repel, still operates separately.
Slick Barrier has applied its pesticide-free clear coating to more than 5,000 homes in the Valley and has also garnered interest from customers in Nevada, Texas and Colorado. To date, the company has raised more than $1.2 million in capital, which has allowed it to obtain patents, expand marketing and attend industry events.
“It's nice to be able to give a lot of our customers that relief of protection," Tony Gonzales said. "Or course, not anything is foolproof, but we’ve had a tremendous amount of positive results."
Preparing for 'Shark Tank'
The business partners sent videos to people with connections to "Shark Tank" and caught the attention of a casting producer for the show, Tony Gonzales said.
“It’s a lot of manual back-and-forth. They want a lot of information,” Aaron Gonzales said. “They have you create different tapes. They want to see you because there’s the Hollywood side too. … It’s definitely an extensive process."
The two co-founders have previously auditioned for "Shark Tank," but January’s episode marks the first time they made it through the extensive application process to the final pitching round, Tony Gonzales said.
“We sent them tapes that were really compelling,” Aaron Gonzales said. “We took live animals and insects on the show to demonstrate how the product works. I think they really liked it.”
To prepare for "Shark Tank," Slick Barrier focused on refining their pitch and reviewing past episodes.
“We did a lot of research on the sharks themselves and read a lot of their books,” Aaron Gonzales said. “From there, you’re in the tank. It’s literally like a shark tank. They very much compete to see who gets the entrepreneur. It’s definitely a lot more chaotic, crazy and longer than the 15 minutes you get on the show. It was pretty intense and I definitely will never forget the experience.”
While the two co-founders are unable to reveal the outcome of their "Shark Tank" segment, they say the company's appearance on the show was beneficial.
“These guys are so gifted in picking products that will work and won’t work,” Tony Gonzales said of the "Shark Tank" investors. “Even though Aaron and I can say 'I think people in Arizona will like it,' these guys have looked at thousands of applications. Aaron and I wanted to get their input and whatever they have shared with us, we’ve already implemented into our company because we trust them.”
