You won’t have trouble finding a construction company to build a house, but not many can create a haunted mansion. Thrill Builders has made its mark in a strange niche through building escape rooms and Halloween attractions. Guy Kitchell appeared on Shark Tank and got a deal with Lori Greiner, Jason Blum and Kevin O’Leary. Thrill Builders is worth an estimated $3 million.
About Guy Kitchell
Guy came into the Tank with a lot of surprises, showcasing some of the scariest props from his company. However, that was just the tip of the iceberg as Thrill Builders offers more than just spooky props.
Guy’s company is a one-stop shop for themed facilities and he has owned a few businesses in the past. Kitchell’s first venture was Klima Deodorant, a deodorant to treat extreme sweating. No matter the industry, he has a passion for craftsmanship and providing engaging experiences.
By 2011, he had founded Thrill Builders to take on full-scale builds. In 2015, he added Escape in Time, a Madison-based escape room family entertainment center, hiring a team of artists, carpenters, CAD experts, and game designers to staff the operation.
Founding Thrill Builders
Hiring a group of diverse professionals helped Guy Kitchell realize that there were not a lot of construction companies dedicated to making escape rooms and haunted houses. So, he made one and named it Thrill Builders.
Apart from Halloween attractions, they provide other amusement facilities for clients such as mini golf and laser tag. Their work was only construction and didn’t collect any franchise fees.
Many of their clients are profitable and can make up to $200,000 per escape room annually. Thrill Builders has worked with brands like Walt Disney, Universal, National Geographic and Six Flags. Kitchell delivered an energetic presentation and had strong sales to back it up. It was a rare three-Shark deal, with Lori Greiner, Kevin O’Leary, and guest Shark Jason Blum investing $300,000 for 30%.
Shark Tank Business Update
When the episode aired in October 2023, Guy was hit with a wave of inquiries through his website. Considering escape room builds run $10,000 to $70,000 for B2B clients, this isn’t a casual purchase. They have 15 ready-made themes and can also build custom themes, ship internationally, install on-site, and train client staff to operate everything.
The biggest post-show development isn’t the Shark Tank deal, it’s that Guy actually built the thing he pitched. Thrill Factory opened on New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2024, at East Towne Mall in Madison, Wisconsin.
The 50,000-square-foot facility took 18 months and $7.2 million to build, funded by $1.7 million Guy raised pre-Shark Tank (selling 17% of Thrill Builders) plus a $5 million SBA-backed loan that closed in early 2024. Lori, Kevin, and Jason are referenced as Guy’s business partners in the financing announcements, a strong signal the deal is active.
On the numbers, Thrill Builders went into the Tank doing $4.2 million in 2023 sales (up from $3.2 million in 2022), with $975,000 in profit and $12.2 million in lifetime revenue over six years. With Thrill Factory now open and projected to do $5.5 million in year-one revenue, the combined business is in genuinely solid shape.
Reviews of Thrill Factory are strong, the facility is open seven days a week, and Guy has stated publicly that Madison is the first of nine planned Thrill Factory venues over the next five years. Thrill Builders continues to operate as the B2B build-and-design engine with international projects in France, Hong Kong, and Mexico.
With Thrill Factory live, $4.2 million+ in annual Thrill Builders sales, three Sharks attached, and an expansion roadmap in place, Thrill Builders is now estimated to be worth $3 million.
