Whatever Happened To The Tree T-Pee From Shark Tank?
Tree T-Pee made quite a splash on "Shark Tank." This is really saying something: The sharks see all kind of pitches, from the Guzzle Buddy wine bottle attachment to the Extreme Sandbox life-sized construction play set to the truly offbeat I Want to Draw a Cat. But Johnny Georges managed to make his mark anyway — and he did it in surprisingly low-key style.
The Tree T-Pee is 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. 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 years 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 since 2017. But if you've been paying attention to Facebook, then you know the company is doing pretty well, as Tree T-Pee posts there pretty regularly. Clips from the "Shark Tank" pitch even picked up some viral steam on TikTok, where the brand also solidified a presence.
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 in the black variety. It also grew across the globe, operating in Europe, Australia, and the Middle East. Plus, Georges' little start-up 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. Georges still received mentorship from investor John Paul DeJoria relatively recently, which was no doubt incredibly helpful as Tree T-Pee continued to do its good work around the world.