Scorpions are terrifying. Honestly, if you’ve ever lived in Arizona or Nevada, you know that midnight bathroom run where you’re scanning the floor like a minefield. Most people just spray more poison. Tony Gonzales and Aaron Gonzales thought that was a losing battle. They went on Shark Tank to pitch a physical solution, not a chemical one. Their company, Slick Barrier, is basically a "force field" for your house. It's a coating that makes your walls so smooth a bug can't get a grip.
They walked into the Tank seeking $400,000 for 15% of the company.
It was a bold ask. The Sharks were skeptical. Lori Greiner, Kevin O'Leary, Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, and Robert Herjavec have seen a million "better mousetraps." But this wasn't a trap. It was a coating. The demonstration was simple: put a bark scorpion in a glass bowl, and it stays put because the glass is too slick. Put it on a brick, and it climbs right out. Slick Barrier mimics that glass surface on the bottom few inches of your home's exterior.
🔗 Read more: Piazza Honda of Philadelphia Philadelphia PA 19153: What Most People Get Wrong
The Pitch That Almost Slipped Away
Tony and Aaron weren't just guys with an idea. They had real-world experience. Tony had spent years in the pest control industry and saw the limitations of traditional pesticides. Pesticides wash away. They degrade in the sun. Bugs evolve resistance. But physics? You can’t evolve your way out of physics. If there's no friction, there's no climbing.
The Sharks, predictably, went straight for the throat on the numbers. At the time of filming for Season 14, the duo had done about $600,000 in sales. That’s not bad. In fact, it's pretty great for a niche product. But the valuation was high. They were valuing the business at over $2.6 million.
Kevin O’Leary did his usual "Mr. Wonderful" thing, questioning the scalability. How do you apply this? Is it a DIY product or a service? The answer was both. They had a service side where they applied it for homeowners, and a product side for the do-it-yourself crowd. This split focus often worries the Sharks. They want one clear path to a billion dollars.
Why the Slick Barrier Shark Tank Deal Mattered
The tension in the room was thick. You could see the gears turning in Lori's head. She loves household solutions. Mark Cuban, however, was looking at the tech and the "moat" (pun intended). If this is just a slick coating, what stops a chemical giant like Dow or BASF from making a version tomorrow?
Tony explained their patent-pending formula. It’s a two-part system. There’s a base coat that fills the pores of the stucco or brick, and a top coat that creates that ultra-smooth, glass-like finish. It's not just "slippery paint." It's an engineered surface.
Eventually, the Sharks started dropping. Robert wasn't feeling it. Mark thought it was too much of a "grind" to educate the public. Barbara didn't see the vision. But Lori Greiner and Kevin O'Leary saw something. They teamed up.
The final deal was $400,000 for 15% equity, plus a $5 per unit royalty until the $400,000 was paid back. It was a classic "Shark" deal—protecting the downside with a royalty while keeping a chunk of the upside. Tony and Aaron took it. They knew the "Shark Tank Effect" would be worth more than the cash itself.
📖 Related: Printed Coffee Cup Sleeves: Why Your Branding Is Probably Failing the Sidewalk Test
Does It Actually Work?
This is where things get interesting. After the episode aired, the internet did what the internet does. People started testing it. The feedback has been surprisingly consistent. If you apply it correctly, it works.
But "correctly" is the keyword.
Applying Slick Barrier isn't like painting a fence. If you leave a tiny gap, or if a bush is touching the side of your house, the scorpions will find a bridge. It’s a literal barrier. If the barrier is broken, the system fails. This is the nuance that many negative reviewers miss. You have to be meticulous. You have to trim your vegetation. You have to ensure the "waterline" of the coating is continuous around the entire perimeter of the structure.
- Pests it stops: Scorpions, cockroaches, ants, and even some spiders.
- Surfaces it works on: Stucco, brick, stone, and concrete.
- Maintenance: It needs a refresh every couple of years depending on UV exposure.
It's a paradigm shift in pest management. Instead of "kill them when they get inside," it's "don't let them on the wall in the first place."
The Post-Tank Reality
Since the episode aired in early 2023, Slick Barrier has exploded. They didn't just sit on the check. They've expanded their retail presence and beefed up their online store. They’ve also worked on the "user experience" side of the DIY kits. The biggest hurdle for them was always the application process. It’s messy. It’s specific. They’ve leaned into video tutorials and better applicator tools to lower the barrier (again, pun intended) for entry.
They are currently focusing heavily on the "Scorpion Belt"—places like Phoenix, Las Vegas, and parts of Texas. In these regions, a scorpion infestation isn't just a nuisance; it's a safety hazard for kids and pets. By targeting these specific pain points, their marketing has become much more efficient.
The company has also seen some competition pop up, but their early-mover advantage and the Shark Tank branding have kept them at the top of the "physical barrier" niche. They are essentially the Kleenex of slick pest coatings now.
What Most People Get Wrong About Slick Barrier
Most people think this is a "set it and forget it" magic wand. It's not.
You still need to be smart. If you have a pile of wood leaning against your house, the scorpions will just climb the wood and jump onto the wall above the coating. Honestly, a lot of the "it didn't work for me" stories come down to basic home maintenance. You can't have a bridge over the moat and then wonder why the castle got invaded.
Also, it's not a pesticide. It won't kill the bugs. They’ll just be wandering around your yard instead of your bedroom ceiling. For some people, that’s not enough. They want the bugs dead. But for those trying to reduce the amount of poison sprayed around their children or pets, Slick Barrier is a godsend. It’s a "mechanical" solution in a chemical world.
Why the Business Model is Actually Brilliant
From a business perspective, Tony and Aaron solved a major problem in the service industry: recurring revenue vs. one-time sales. By having a DIY kit, they capture the global market. By having a service wing, they capture the local, high-margin market.
💡 You might also like: Glueckert Funeral Home Arlington Heights: What Really Happens Behind the Scenes
Kevin O'Leary likely pushed for the royalty because he knows how slow the "education" phase of a new product can be. It takes time for people to realize they don't have to just "spray and pray." The royalty ensures the Sharks get their money back while the brand builds its reputation.
Actionable Steps for Homeowners
If you're dealing with crawling pests and want to give this a shot, don't just go out and buy a bucket. Do it systematically.
- Inspect your perimeter. Look for any points where the ground meets the house. Check for cracks in the foundation.
- Clear the "Bridge Zone." Trim every single bush, blade of grass, or tree branch that is within 12 inches of your home's exterior walls.
- Clean the surface. The coating won't stick to dirt or old, peeling paint. Use a stiff brush and maybe some mild soap, then let it dry completely.
- Apply the Base Coat. Don't skimp here. This layer fills the pores so the top coat can be perfectly smooth.
- Apply the Top Coat. This is the "slick" part. Follow the instructions on the drying times exactly. If it rains before it's cured, you're starting over.
- Regular Checks. Every six months, take a flashlight out at night and look at the coating. If it looks dull or chipped, touch it up.
The evolution of Slick Barrier from a local Arizona service to a national brand is a testament to the fact that people are tired of old-school pest control. We want things that make sense. We want things that work with physics, not just chemistry. Tony and Aaron took a simple observation—scorpions can't climb glass—and turned it into a multi-million dollar business that actually solves a terrifying problem.
That’s about as "Shark Tank" as it gets.