Stepping into the Shark Tank is a military couple with what they believe is a “manly gift.” Eli Crane and his wife, Jennifer, represent Bottle Breacher and are seeking an investment of $150,000 in exchange for 10% of their business. Eli starts with the mission statement; at Bottle Breacher, they seek to make the finest, personalized 50 caliber bullet bottle openers. Well, why would anyone want a 50 caliber bullet bottle opener? The short answer is that, “they’re awesome.” As a former Navy Seal, Eli understood that when he would grow older, he would have to find a way to figure out the best way to provide for his family when he eventually exited the Navy. Thus, Bottle Breacher was created.
The idea behind Bottle Breacher is simple, Eli says. Most guys like drinking beer (true), and most guys also think that large caliber bullets are very cool (also true). Therefore, at Bottle Breacher, the 50 caliber bottle opener has been claimed as the “ultimate manly gift.” Although the Bottle Breacher is already a successful company in its own right, the couple needs help from the Sharks to breach the market even more open than it already is.
Bottle Breacher On Shark Tank
To demonstrate how the Bottle Breacher works, Jenn hands out samples of personalized Bottle Breachers to each of the Sharks, along with a complimentary pint of beer. To Mark, they specifically give gluten-free beer since Mark probably thinks he’s fat and is trying to watch his weight. Robert receives a race car Bottle Breacher, Lori receives the first ever pink Bottle Breacher, and the Sharks all receive their favorite colors of Bottle Breacher. Eli claims he doesn’t want to be rude, and opens his own bottle with his own Bottle Breacher.
Daymond starts by asking if the bullets are real 50 caliber bullets, which Eli confirms that they indeed are. They are actually a dummy round, which is spent bullets without the explosive, and they acquire these dummy rounds through an intermediary. Eli is confident that they can eventually cut the price of production down by going straight through the manufacturing. Bottle Breachers are sold online in an Etsy store and the Bottle Breacher website. On average, the typical model costs $23.50 but there is a wide range of Bottle Breacher products available. There are also addons, including the ability to add brass, engravings, or even a fancy storage box.
A custom-engraved Bottle Breacher, for “Bobby”
After labor, each Bottle Breacher costs $9.03 in pure materials to make. The Bottle Breachers aren’t sold through retailers, but they are available in two “strategic” brick and mortar stores. Kevin probes for details on those stores, and Eli explains they are sold between $16 and $18 to the store, who then vends them at an appropriate price. Jenn says that, shockingly enough, their biggest market is actually weddings due to the appropriateness of the gift for groomsmen, father-of-the-bride, and the best man. The wedding organizers are more likely to pay up extra money for a more lavish gift for their wedding ensemble.
Kevin and Daymond then ask for numbers, wanting to know how Bottle Breacher is being kept afloat. So far, Bottle Breacher had made a half million dollars all through online sales. Since starting in January of 2013 (this episode is filmed in 2014), their sales have totaled up to $863,000, shockingly enough. In the first month, Bottle Breacher only made $375, but in the last month, sales passed well over $100,000.
Kevin then wants to know where the name “Bottle Breacher” came from, and Eli explains that a “Breacher” is an operator who has the job of getting the soldiers, the assaulters, into wherever they are required to attack or be. Whether it’s a sledgehammer, strip charge explosive, or whatever required, the person is a breacher that is responsible for destroying something or making a path for the operators to get in and do their job. Eli then claims that the customers love the story, and both Daymond and Mark grin at each other with twinkling eyes.
Lori asks if the Bottle Breacher can be made with other bullets, which Eli confirms it can – Jenn actually gives Lori an example of a 20 millimeter round, which is what might be fired out of an attack helicopter or some sort of assault vehicle. Lori is given an intense-looking round, calling it “the mother of all bullets.” Eli says that the model that Lori is holding is actually called the “WMD” by Bottle Breacher, or the Weapon of Mass Destruction. Lori then asks if there is resistance due to the fact that the Bottle Breacher is a bullet, and American society seems to be having more and more issues revolving around guns and firearms. Eli mentions that Lori is absolutely right, but so far, there haven’t been any problems with any channels in pushing the Bottle Breacher out into the market. Most people are smart enough to see it as a display piece, and something not harmful.
Kevin then asks where they will need to expand capacity – since they’ve already made it onto Shark Tank, there is a very real chance that they will receive a massive amount of orders overnight (the Shark Tank effect) and be crippled by production. At a number of 50,000 additional orders, Eli says that he knows he will have to lease another “incubator space,” which is a space where management and operations are performed. However, if Bottle Breacher receives the full $150,000 investment from Shark Tank, Eli says they could easily double production immediately.
Mark probes for details, and Eli explains that nearly 90% of orders are all customized and that they are actually in need of additional engravers. Lori asks what makes Bottle Breacher proprietary and what is the competition, and Eli explains that, thanks to “Mr Wonderful” Kevin, they were actually watching an episode of Shark Tank and Kevin was ripping apart an entrepreneur who did not brand the product. As soon as the product left the packaging, there was no way to determine where that product came from, so Eli told Jennifer that they needed to take Kevin’s advice and stamp “Bottle Breacher” on each unit.
Kevin admits that he thinks the name has a lot to do with the success of the product. Mark then asks for the story behind Eli’s experience as a Navy Seal, and Eli starts by saying that he is honored to have been with the same team of 8 men through 3 combat missions in Iraq. The first time Eli attended Navy Seal training, he actually dropped it out but after making it through the hardest part, “Hell Week,” which is 5 and a half days of no sleeping and constant training in real conditions. Eli passed Hell Week, and was pulled aside a week and a half later and was told that he has heart but that they ultimately weren’t looking for someone as Eli, never citing the specific example of why Eli was denied entry into the Navy Seals.
Eli was then shipped out to the Navy Fleet for 2 years, and he eventually returned to the Navy Seals training and made it through the training. He learned that life is full of obstacles and failures in the Navy Seal boot camp, and it is this same effort he puts forth into Bottle Breacher.
Unfortunately, Jenn says that they rarely expanded during Eli’s time spent overseas serving in combat. The business was slow to run, and Jennifer really didn’t know anyone, so Eli eventually came back home to be with his daughters and wife, as well as start the Bottle Breacher company.
Kevin is the first to make an offer to Eli and Jenn; Kevin offers $150,000 in exchange for 20%, and Eli admits that he is honored to receive such a nice offer from Kevin. Kevin explains that there is little risk in growing the business. However, Eli very politely says that out of respect for the other Sharks, he wants to hear their offers as well.
Unfortunately, Lori is out due to the niche appeal of the Bottle Breacher. However, Daymond extends an offer of $200,000 in exchange for 25% of the company, but this would be contingent on Daymond receiving the licensing. Daymond says that he could move the product into other markets like paperweights, and he could do this very quickly.
Robert says that he adores Eli, and nobody knows what it takes like a Navy Seal. Robert then says that Daymond and Kevin have given excellent offers, and he is the next Shark out of the deal. Mark is the last Shark to make an offer, and Mark says he actually wants to split the deal evenly with Kevin at $75,000 for 10% equity each, all without contingencies or footnotes.
Eli and Jenn accept the combined offer of Mark and Kevin, scoring a $150,000 investment in exchange for 20% of their company. However, Eli came into the Shark Tank seeking two sharks thanks to the military adage of “One is none, Two is one.”
Bottle Breacher Now in 2018 – The After Shark Tank Update
Bottle Breacher exploded in popularity after the appearance on Shark Tank, and were actually featured in the immediate episode of Shark Tank. Sales were revealed to jump from only $300,000 per year, up to a value of $2.5 million per year. Jobs have also been created in the United States, and Bottle Breacher has totally grown in popularity. A variety of new products have been invented, such as Bottle Breachers which center around a specific American hero (such as Marc Lee), or even an American flag bottle breacher. For the women, there is also a brand new purple .50 caliber Bottle Breacher, as well.
Bottle Breachers can be found on the Bottle Breacher website for around $20 for the base model, as well as on Amazon. Bottle Breachers can still be heavily customized, but not the models purchased from Amazon.
