Chicken and turkey are favorites on particular events. However, making ready them with cooking twine doesn’t at all times present the perfect outcomes. With the Turbo Trusser as a substitute, you may cook dinner the right chicken each time. Founders Kirk Hyust and Brian Halasinski pitched the product on season 14 and received a cope with Kevin O’Leary. As of 2024, Turbo Trusser is value $1 million.
About the Founders
Kirk Hyust and Brian Halasinski are inventors from Stark County, Ohio. Kirk underwent chef coaching at The Culinary Institute of America, and Brian has a BBA from Kent State University and an MBA from Malone University.
After faculty, Halasinski turned an analyst at Akro-Mils for 2 years. Then, he turned a lean engineer at Newell Rubbermaid. His final job earlier than founding Turbo Trusser was as a therapeutic specialist at Gilead Sciences.
Although he studied culinary arts, Hyust was extra considering inventing new merchandise. He was the president of Kirk Wrench LLC from 2016 to 2019 and continues to be Vice President of Hall Of Fame Innovations.
Founding the Company
In 2015, they turned buddies after Kirk renovated Brian’s residence. Since then, they’ve invented six merchandise, 4 within the barbecue business and two within the pet business. So far, none of their creations has achieved any success however the Turbo Trusser had potential.
The product was made to make cooking hen and turkey simpler. It options two wire hooks on a chrome steel trusser that make a particular contraption to maintain wings and legs. The Turbo Trusser helps completely cook dinner poultry in ovens, deep fryers, grills, and extra.
It was launched to the market in 2021 after the founders partnered with native corporations to manufacture the product. A couple of months later, they made $50,000 in gross sales. After a yr, the determine rose to greater than $100,000!
Getting on Shark Tank
Kirk Hyust and Brian Halasinski initially utilized to Shark Tank after beginning the enterprise. They didn’t get accepted, however they’d the boldness to strive once more after hitting the $50,000 mark.
Several months glided by earlier than the pair received a name from the present’s producers. They have been instructed to journey to Los Angeles, California, to shoot a scene for this system.
Shark Tank Appearance
The founders hilariously strutted into the Tank in turkey and hen fits. Despite a shaky begin, they recovered effectively and did a superb job explaining their product. At the time of the pitch, Turbo Trusser had $90,000 in gross sales inside 8 and half months. 60% of gross sales got here from their web site and 27% via three distributors.
Four Sharks dropped because the product was very area of interest and didn’t consider they may scale solely. Mr. Wonderful was the one one however it wanted a variety of work. They ended up accepting Kevin’s supply of $100,000 for 33% and a royalty of $1 per unit in perpetuity.
After Shark Tank
Turbo Trusser is already doing effectively, however showing on the present will additional increase its gross sales. The product is now obtainable on Amazon, TurboTrusser.com, and 80 retail places within the US and Canada.
It’s offered in native shops resembling Ace shops in Kent and Akron and Mister Brisket in Cleveland Heights. Slowly, the product is choosing up orders from international locations exterior the US resembling Germany, Chile, Australia, and the UK.
Turbo Trusser has a 4.3 common star ranking from 73 evaluations on Amazon. Currently, Turbo Trusser makes round $100,000 in annual income and is valued at $1 million. If the cope with Kevin O’Leary closes, a royalty of $1 per unit will negatively affect their money circulate in the long term. The founders ought to have dropped the royalty after Kevin received his preliminary funding again.
