Gilbert friends hope ‘slick’ pitch sticks for deal on ‘Shark Tank’

PHOENIX – A pair of East Valley entrepreneurs will be featured in an upcoming episode of the reality TV show “Shark Tank.”

Friends Aaron Gonzales and Tony Gonzales of Gilbert-based Slick Barrier will pitch their nontraditional pest control creation on the Jan. 27 broadcast of the business competition series.

The episode will air locally at 7 p.m. on ABC 15.

The cofounders came up with a smooth, clear pesticide-free coating application they say prevents crawling pests from getting inside homes.

“My 4-year-old son was stung by a scorpion inside our home and almost died,” Tony Gonzales said, explaining the impetus of the product on the company’s website.

Aaron Gonzales told a similar story:

“We started this company out of desperation. My wife and I had just purchased our dream home, only to find out it was infested with Arizona bark scorpions. I got stung by a scorpion and my wife and I were concerned about the safety of our 3-year-old son.”

The two began kicking around ideas of how to keep scorpions and other pests outside.

“Yes, pesticides will kill insects and other pests eventually. However, pesticides will not physically stop pests from entering your home,” Tony Gonzales said.

Aaron Gonzales said he came up with the idea for Slick Barrier based on knowing most pests can’t climb smooth surfaces.

They said they worked with several chemists and manufacturers to come up with the right formula.

The coating is easy to apply, they said, and works on surfaces including brick, concrete and stucco.

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