As a firefighter, Jeff Stroope of Texas has seen many homes destroyed because of the time required to supply water to a fire scene. So he designed Hy-Conn, a quick connector for fire hydrant hoses. It takes less than three seconds to connect a Hy-Conn to a hydrant and it doesn’t involve threading or wrenching. He also designed a Hy-Conn for the home –a connector that clamps onto spigots for garden hose plumbing.
In 2011, Stroope pitched Hy-Conn on Shark Tank. On the show, Stroope agreed to a $1.25 million investment with Mark Cuban for 7.5 percent in royalties and a three-year employment agreement. According to Stroope, “almost immediately,” the deal fell through. In 2013, Stroope finally received his patent for HyConn but as of July 2016, the product is not available for purchase on the website.
[Related: 27 Favorite ‘Shark Tank’ Products at Amazon — New List]
#sharktank Cuban wanted me to find someone to Mfg, distribute, sell, and we would just draw a check. I can do that without giving up 100%
— Jeff Stroope (@HyConn_LLC) September 17, 2011
#sharktank Even with the outcome I do not blame @mcuban for anything. It is business and that is that.
— Jeff Stroope (@HyConn_LLC) September 17, 2011
