PLAIN TWP. – A pair of Stark County inventors are taking their product to the sharks.
Brian Halasinski and Kirk Hyust are heading to "Shark Tank" with their Turbo Trusser, a stainless steel contraption that eliminates the need for cooking twine and master chef skills to truss poultry.
The pair will introduce the Turbo Trusser to the sharks on an episode that airs at 8 p.m. Sept. 30 on ABC.
"Shark Tank" is an entrepreneurial-themed reality show that allows entrepreneurs to pitch their businesses and products to business tycoons and convince them to invest.
The Turbo Trusser was introduced late last year and is in 80 retail stores across the United States and Canada. It's sold locally at Hartville Hardware & Lumber, Custom Fireplace Shop in Jackson Township, Ace stores in Kent and Akron, and Mister Brisket in Cleveland Heights. It also can be ordered from turbotrusser.com or on Amazon. The product has been shipped to customers in Germany, Italy, Chile, Australia, Canada, England and Scotland, the owners said.
Inventors:Stark inventors resolve poultry cooking hassle with Turbo Trusser
They have sold about 10,000 units with about $100,000 in sales since launching the product, said Halasinski, a 1996 Perry High graduate.
The Turbo Trusser is designed to make trussing turkeys or chickens easier. Using the two wire hooks placed in the stainless steel trusser, it attaches to the legs and wings. The legs are then placed into the specially designed slots on the trusser.
It can be used with ovens, smokers, roasters, grills, rotisseries and deep fryers and is dishwasher safe.
The Turbo Trusser was designed and manufactured in Northeast Ohio. Cleveland Metal Stamping stamps the shape and the wire is made by Wire Products of Cleveland. The packing is produced by Wadsworth Rohrer Corp.
"You always want to sell more but being able to generate that kind of sales with very little marketing experience or dollars is pretty good," Halasinski said.
He applied online to be on the show when the product hit the market late last year. He applied again a few months later once they hit $50,000 in sales. The application process was simple, he said, adding he answered a number of questions on the online application.
Inventors:Local men design stackable smoker BBQ pan
He heard back from "Shark Tank" producers in April seeking more information from him.
After months of waiting, the pair were asked to come to Los Angeles to film a segment for the show.
"They told you throughout the whole process as they continued to narrow it down there were no guarantees you were going to move on," he said. "Even if you taped the show, it didn't guarantee your (segment) would ever be seen on TV."
Show officials just announced their segment would be broadcast.
Going into the taping, there were a few sharks the pair hoped to impress, including Lori Greiner. Halsinski can't talk about the details of the episode or what sharks they pitched their product to until after the show airs.
"We have a kitchen product and Lori Greiner does a lot of QVC and our product is very demonstrable," he said. "You don't even know which sharks will be there until right before you go to tape it.
"It was awesome and really intense," he added. "It was very stressful knowing you were going out there and pitching to well-known wealthy business tycoons, even billionaires. It definitely was an unbelievable experience for Kirk and me and it was something we will never forget."
They can't talk about what happened on the show until after it is broadcast, but no matter the outcome, Halasinski said the TV appearance on the hit show will give the Turbo Trusser exposure.
"Hopefully, this will put our company on a different trajectory. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience," he added.
Reach Amy at 330-775-1135 or amy.knapp@indeonline.com