StepNpull on Shark Tank: Everything You Need to Know

StepnPull is a new product to help alleviate a problem that many have been experiencing, more so recently. Think of this, you are in a public restroom and you need to now open the door after washing your hands. Do you really want to touch the door handle? Probably not. Well, co-founders Mike Sewell, Ron Ely, and Kelly Coddington had a brilliant idea, they call it the StepNpull. Find out all about the StepNpull below.

How did StepNpull start?

According to stepnpull.com, the story dates back to the early 1990s when Mike Sewell, Ron Ely, and Kelly Coddington all found themselves as co-workers at a telecommunications company. In their work ot the company, they would often take notice to different actions of employees. One such action was when employees would use paper towel to open a door in order to avoid touching the handle. Often this lead to litter as there was nowhere for the paper towel to go, not to mention the waste it created

So how did the other two join in on the idea?

Kelly is strong in design. She designed and fabricated the first prototype of the StepNpull. Ron was on the construction end in that he knew where to place this new device on the door.

Who created the StepNpull name?

Ron Ely is the name designer and created the name of the StepNpull.

When did the company officially start?

The company was technically started in 2007 which was long before the pandemic. At that time, StepNpull was a side business for the three owners which was growing with orders from large corporations such as Coca-Cola, Facebook, Google, and Walmart.

How did the StepNpull grow so much?

In 2020, when the pandemic hit, there became a strong emphasis on the reduction of spreading germs. Business exploded at this point and in March 2020 they had more orders in that one month than they had in their previous 13 years, combined.

Where is the headquarters for the StepNpull?

With the growth of the company in 2020, they added more employees and more international distributors at their headquarters in Springfield, Missouri.

Can individuals buy the StepNpull online?

With the expansion of the company, StepNpull is now available to individual consumers through shops like Amazon. Take a look at the many different color offerings here.

What do people think of it so far?

According to Amazon, the majority of the products offered by StepNpull have ratings of 4+ stars with thousands of ratings

Here are a few testimonials:

Perfect for bathroom doors in your business
“This product was a HUGE hit when I installed it on all the bathroom doors. Everyone was so thrilled to no longer need to touch doors, especially during the pandemic of Covid-19.”

They’re in churches:
“I bought these to install in our church restrooms and these get people talking. They love them and wish every restroom had them.”

The co-founders thoughts of being on Shark Tank

“Who would have thought when the company launched in 2007 that StepNpull would someday be helping to protect the world from a global pandemic AND be featured on a hit reality TV show? Well, it’s happening. StepNpulls have been installed around the world in the last year, and the company will appear on the April 2 episode of the hit ABC reality series “Shark Tank.” “

They are consistently growing. In January they announced popular tech app, Snapchat would be implementing the StepNpull in their corporate offices.

Here is how the StepNpull works in action

The StepNpull is pretty easy to install. In fact it can be explained in just 1 minute. The product comes with door decals so people can be aware to look down to use the StepNpull when exiting a bathroom or other room. It has three holes that you will use to stencil in three dots on the door you want to install the product on. Then using a 5/16” bit, drill the center hole. You will use the largest screw for the middle hole and the smaller screws for the outside holes. Make sure the product is level. Watch below.

Just like this Instagram post says. It is smart, simple, and sanitary.

The StepNpull Instagram is filled with customer highlights from FedEx to the Smithsonian, Rivian to Nasa. Companies are jumping on board for a product like this.

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Can You Buy Stepnpull?

If you want to get your own StepNpull, you can find them on Amazon.

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Did Stepnpull Get a Deal in the Shark Tank?

Stepnpull came into the tank asking for $300k for 7% stake in their company. Lori Greiner was offering founder Mike a deal with a vision to get this as a consumer product. He wasn’t quite seeing her vision so he looked at the other sharks for offers. Daymond John and Kevin O’Leary both had interest in the product. Lori ended up taking herself out of the running when Mike was unsure about her deal.

Daymond John was offering $300k for 8%. He and Kevin O’Leary were battling it out to win. Kevin O’Leary at first offered just what Mike came in the tank looking for. After seeing that Daymond John was really wanting this deal, Kevin did something that he never does. He offered above the asking price. $300k for 6% he said – to which Mike agreed and they made the deal!

Final Result: Mike agreed to a deal with Kevin O’Leary of $300k for 6%.

Find out if the sharks like this idea or not on Shark Tank, Friday, April 2nd.

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