Back in the Shark Tank!

ABC has told us that we are going back on Shark Tank! Each of the Sharks picked their favorite deal from last season to air before season six, and wouldn't you know it? Lori Greiner picked FiberFix! 

We are very grateful for Lori's partnership and  decision to feature our company. None of this would be possible without the overwhelming support we've seen from our friends and customers, and we want to say "thank you" for having been there for us during this adventure! Watch for us on September 9 (2014) at 10 pm EST. In the mean time, check out the Shark Tank Blog and the press release below for details. We're excited!

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Following the fifth and most successful season of ABC’s Emmy-nominated series “Shark Tank,” investor Lori Greiner has chosen to feature her deal with FiberFix to kick off what is expected to be the show’s most viewed season. The news came when the series, which features aspiring entrepreneurs seeking potential investors, or “sharks,” announced the return of “Shark Tank Week,” in which a favorite episode chosen by each shark will re-air leading up to the season premier this September. Ms. Greiner’s chosen episode featuring FiberFix is scheduled for Sept. 9 at 10 pm EST.

FiberFix caught the attention of sharks and viewers alike last October pitching FiberFix repair wrap, a water-activated fiberglass mesh that hardens like steel around broken objects in ten to fifteen minutes. Armed with FiberFixed furniture, tent poles, pipes, and even a cinderblock-smashing hammer, company co-founders Eric Child and student Spencer Quinn were quick to impress. “I love the FiberFix episode,” Greiner recalls, “I love the fiber fix episode, they came out and immediately got my attention, great demo & the product screamed how awesome it is.”Although the negotiating was fierce, Greiner ultimately sealed the deal, promising 120 thousand dollars in exchange for 12 percent of the company.  "I knew it would be enormous and it already is!" she later commented. "We've done $8 million in retail Sales since they aired last year!”

Having partnered with Greiner, sometimes called “The Queen of QVC,” FiberFix completely sold out on the television shopping network the day immediately after the “Shark Tank” episode aired.  Less than a year later, FiberFix is now considered a model of rapid retail success and has grown from being sold in a few hundred stores to over 10,000, including in Lowe’s, The Home Depot and others both in the United States and increasingly abroad.  Such success is the dream of any entrepreneur vying for a spot on “Shark Tank,” and the owners of FiberFix are grateful for the partnership and exposure.  “Doing a deal with Lori has collapsed 3-5 years of growth into just a few months,” remarked Eric Child, co-founder and CEO of FiberFix.  “It’s been an amazing ride so far, and we’re excited to see what the future holds.” 

Have Questions? We Have Answers!

We love FiberFix because it's easy, it's quick, and anyone can use it. Just dip it, wrap it, and enjoy! Even so, every day, we get calls from FiberFix users who are wondering what else they can do to get the most out of their FiberFix. Often we hear questions like these:

• "What on Earth is that black vinyl strip really used for?"
• "When do I use the sandpaper square?"
• "What specific things should I do differently for a pipe versus for a shovel?" 

In inventing and experimenting with FiberFix ourselves we've discovered a few little tricks that can make working with FiberFix even easier and more enjoyable. A lot of this information is found on our website FAQ page (which we continue to add to) but we are pleased to announce new video series that hits many of these questions head on. If you have ever wondered about any of the following questions, we have a video for you!

• How Do I Fix a Pipe with FiberFix?   
• Can I Use FiberFix on Flat Surfaces?  
• Do I Have to Use the Whole Roll?   
• Can I Wrap Multiple Items with FiberFix?   
• What Size Roll Do I Use?   
• How Long Does FiberFix Take to Fully Harden?   
• What is the Black Vinyl Strip for?   
• When Do I Use the Sandpaper?   
• Does the Water Need to be Exactly Room Temperature?   
• What Temperatures Can FiberFix Withstand?    

All of these can be viewed on our YouTube "Frequently Asked Questions" playlist.  The First video in the series is posted below. Check it out!
 

FiberFix Paintball Madness

“Can you make us body armor to take the impact of 800 paintballs?  All shot at once?”

At FiberFix we had responded to unusual requests before, but this one was flirting with crazy. Full body armor? FiberFix is a rapid-cure, permanent repair wrap – not a combat accessory. It goes on things like broken water pipes, yard tools and furniture. Yes, it is ridiculously strong, and patches of it have even stopped bullets, but this was beyond anything we had ever tried before.

“We’d love to figure it out, but what exactly are you trying to do?”

We soon heard the whole story. Jeff Harmon of Orabrush and Poo-Pourii fame had co-founded VidAngel, which offers a profanity and objectionable content filter for streamed videos, and now he was trying to make another viral YouTube ad to get his point across – that every word has impact.

He wanted a metaphor to visualize the effect of media profanity by assaulting a family of four with 792 paintballs per person or 3168 total (the number was generated from the film The Wolf of Wall Street which broke every swearing record in cinema history).  As any paintball enthusiast knows, getting hit once is no picnic, let alone 800 times, and whatever protection worn also needed to be form-fitting so it could be concealed under clothing.

Jeff had already experimented with a scuba suit and Styrofoam, and he showed us massive bruises on his chest from just five shots. “I didn’t think it was possible. I thought we might literally kill somebody or send them to the hospital, and we started to call the shoot off when somebody brought up FiberFix.”

That’s when we got his phone call. Jeff’s associate, Benton Crane, offered to guinea pig in our first test. We flattened some boxes for him to lie on, protected his shirt with plastic wrap and began applying several rolls of FiberFix. With a ten minute cure time, it wasn’t long before we had our first FiberFix shield plate.  Benton was a little nervous as Jeff pulled out his Tippman A-5 paintball gun, but the test went flawlessly – a little pressure, but no pain to speak of.  It seemed almost unbelievable.

After a lot more experimentation, FiberFix, Little Debbie’s, and a couple 2am evenings, I worked with Chani from VidAngel to churn out 4 complete suits of armor.  Two FiberFix employees, Elaina Wusstig and Nathan Richey, volunteered as stunt doubles and stayed long after hours so we could create and fit the first two suits. Callee Marshall and Emily Anderson volunteered to model for the second generation. Not only is FiberFix designed to be watertight or even airtight for pipe repair, it also gets warm during the curing process. Those stunt doubles sweat through a virtual sauna to create that armor! Check out the making of Callee and Emily's suits below! 

When the day of the shoot came, we were confident in our preparation. I was impressed with the precautions that had been taken in training the shooters, establishing clear protocol, checking and double-checking the armor, and managing traffic around the set. Watching 3200 paintballs fly, however, was breathtaking to watch, to say nothing of what being hit must have felt like to be hit by them. I myself was in the firing squad.

As soon as it was safe after the horn sounded and the shooting stopped, I ran on set to check the status of the stunt doubles. I knew how meticulous we had been and what tests we had run, but I couldn’t fight the natural inclination to be concerned. We knew it could withstand a few dozen just fine, but we hadn’t had the resources to do testing in a hailstorm of 3200 paintballs in advance. My eyes had instinctively told me that to come out of that unscathed would defy all reason.

Yet that’s exactly what happened. There was some very understandable complaining about hands (which were not covered), but I was relieved to see that everyone was not only alive and well, but even laughing about it. The FiberFix had done an extraordinary job.

The set was torn down and a new one was thrown up for a second shoot with a new set of stunt doubles, but for this one there was no trepidation. It was going to be another very late night, but sometimes you can’t help but love your job.

Derek Johanson
FiberFix

Here's how the final video turned out!

Introducing FiberFix Heat Wrap

We love FiberFix original repair wrap. It's tough. It's strong. It's fast. It can also withstand temperatures up to 300 degrees Fahrenheit without breaking a sweat. By any standard, that's pretty amazing! In listening to FiberFix users, however, we found that many of them (ourselves included!) wanted something even tougher for some parts of their cars and furnaces. We turned up the heat, and now we are pleased to announce the release of our latest product: FiberFix Heat Wrap!

Heat Wrap is designed for applications up to 850 degrees F. It can be easily used on things like auto hoses, furnace systems and mufflers. We've already seen and heard how Heat Wrap has saved users hundreds of dollars on repairs that used to be too difficult or too expensive to manage alone. Not any more! Simply open the pouch, dip it in water, wrap the item tightly, and allow the heat to cure the wrap. Heat Wrap will start appearing in stores in 2-3 months, but you can get it on our website
today!

Thank you for helping to make this possible! For more information about using heat wrap, check out our lasted instructional video below.

 

FiberFixed Throwing Axe

FiberFixed Pinata

FiberFix v.s. Parkour

Can FiberFix hold up to Parkour? Watch and see! (Spoiler Alert: It's FiberFix, OF COURSE it can hold up to parkour!)