When a storm or flood is coming, sandbags are a common way to protect your home. However, shoveling sand can take hours. StormBags are a great alternative because all you need is a little bit of water, and you’ll have up to 35 pounds of weight to take on harsh weather conditions. Maurice and Miles Huffman created the product, and scored a deal on Shark Tank with Mark Cuban and Lori Greiner. After the show, StormBag is worth $2 million.
The Founders
Maurice and Miles are a father-and-son duo with a story that touched the hearts of many. Hailing from Paradise, California, their beloved town was burned down by the Camp Fire incident in 2018. This destroyed the Huffmans’ homes and business. Maurice owns a military surplus store called Swiss-Link which he set up in 1995.
Before the fire, his best-selling product was reusable sandbags made of crosslinked polyacrylamide powder. When mixed with water, this material expands into a heavy hydrogel. It deflates in a matter of weeks and can be used again.
Maurice typically sold about 200 bags every week. In 2011, when Hurricane Irene was forecasted to hit the East Coast, the entrepreneur sold over 10,000 units in just one week.
Getting on Shark Tank
After their town turned to ashes, Maurice found it difficult to get his company back on track. That was when his son, Miles, quit his job to help the family business. He focused on marketing and optimizing their product website.
In recent years, hurricane activity has been increasing in the North Atlantic basin, so the demand for StormBag has seen a steady increase. This pushed the founders to get help from outside investors.
Maurice and Miles entered the Tank in season 15, and their segment was emotional. Of course, Kevin had no time for sob stories and wanted to talk business. On the other hand, Lubetzky wanted to come across as the nice guy. The ambitious pair came in looking to raise $200,000 investment for a 10% equity stake.
After Shark Tank
The Sharks showed a lot of sympathy for the guys and their story received attention on Twitter with fans eager to support them. StormBag should get at least $50,000 in sales from the publicity from the show. The product is simple and can be used in a wide range of industries. The deal with Mark and Lori should close within the next three months.
StormBag is available on StormBag.co, Amazon, and the official website for Maurice’s military surplus shop, SwissLink.com. You can buy one bag for $10 or purchase it in bulk to save money. On Amazon, their 50-pack has an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars.
Apart from packs that are all reusable sandbags, the company sells Door Protection Kits. These are specialized bundles that include all sorts of materials to safeguard doors of all sizes from heavy wind. It’s important to have multiple products as it’s difficult to build a company from one product. The Huffman’s came across as very likable so finger’s crossed the venture works out for them.
