Whatever Happened To ScreenMend Patching Solution For Torn Screens After Shark Tank Season 5?
A torn mesh on your window or door is a nuisance. Not only does it look unsightly, but insects can invade, making an unpleasant situation even worse. Replacing the entire screen can cost a pretty penny — even more if you have to hire someone to install it. Brian Hooks and his daughters Lily and Emma solved this issue with ScreenMend, the quick and easy way to patch holes in your window screen.
ScreenMend is a patch coated in a wax adhesive. Just place the ScreenMend on the hole in your window mesh, heat it with a hairdryer, and you're done. The patch can withstand rain and wind to last for years. It covers holes up to 5" x 7" and eliminates the need to replace the entire screen. At just nine years old, Lily came up with the idea of using wax as an adhesive after the screen repair kit her dad purchased was not working.
Lily and Emma were 12 and 15 years old when they came on "Shark Tank" Season 5 with their dad. They pitched to Mark Cuban, Kevin O'Leary, Daymond John, Lori Greiner, and Robert Herjavec with the hope of amplifying their small business.
ScreenMend left the Tank with a deal
The Hooks came into the tank seeking $30k for 25% of ScreenMend. At the time of taping, Brian and his daughters had sold 750 units and mentioned the company had interest from Home Depot and Bed Bath and Beyond. However, ScreenMend needed a package redesign before retailers were willing to hang them on shelves.
Daymond John thought the family of entrepreneurs was great, but he wouldn't have the time to guide them down all the avenues they still had yet to reach, so he went out. Kevin O'Leary found the screen repair niche too small for his investment, not to mention a lot of work to build up this small business. He was the next Shark out. Robert Herjavec had similar apprehensions. He reassured Lily and Emma that they'd be successful before going out.
Mark Cuban was moved by the family's story. Even though he knew nothing about screen repair, he was willing to give them $30k for 25% so they wouldn't leave without a deal. However, Lori Greiner was interested in taking over ScreenMend's manufacturing and bringing them on TV, but it would cost them 50% of their business for the same $30k. The Hooks accepted Greiner's offer, giving up half of their company for the chance to become a major enterprise.
ScreenMend after Shark Tank
After their episode aired, ScreenMend raked in lots of orders. "We sold 750 units before the show," Brian Hooks told the Shark Tank Blog. "We sold that in 10 minutes on show night. Orders were coming one per second the day after the show, and around one per minute a week after. They're still coming in at a good clip."
While they secured customers from their "Shark Tank" appearance, Lori Greiner opened up the QVC channel for them. Just two months after their Season 5 premiere, Emma Hooks was on QVC with Greiner selling ScreenMend patches. They sold out of all 32,000 units in only 10 minutes. Greiner secured the new packaging and got them into Lowe's, Bed Bath and Beyond, Ace, and Home Depot. The Hooks also got their garage back as ScreenMend upgraded to a new fulfillment center. That $30k investment changed ScreenMend and the Hooks' lives for the better.
Is ScreenMend still in business?
Within the six years after appearing on "Shark Tank" Season 5, ScreenMend has done $18 million in retail sales. The screen repair kit is available in all major hardware stores, on the company's site, and on Amazon. The entrepreneurs expanded their line from just patch packs to rolls and included more colors as well. They also made a change to the wax adhesive. Lori Griener licensed ScreenMend to another one of her "Shark Tank" investments, FiberFix, a repair tape company. They formulated a new adhesive to improve the hold on the ScreenMend patches.
In 2016, ScreenMend was sold to Spark Innovations, LLC, a corporation that develops retail products that has also acquired FiberFix. ScreenMend's Facebook page has not been updated since the sale of the company. There also haven't been any posts to their X (Twitter) page since 2019 and its Instagram since 2020. However, the ScreenMend website is running, and the product is still available for purchase.
What's next for the ScreenMend founders?
After graduating from the University of Alabama in 2022, Lily Hooks joined NBCUniversal. She went from Ad Sales Intern to full-time Digital Service Representative. As of May 2023, she serves as their Digital Sales Planner. Lily is still the president of ScreenMend, however, it is a part-time position.
Emma Hooks is an actor, writer, director, and entrepreneur. She graduated from American University in 2019. As of August 2020, she is the Social Media Manager for Capital Online Auctions. The elder Hooks sister has starred in a variety of films, commercials, and theater performances apart from "Shark Tank" and QVC. Although forever a founder of ScreenMend, she doesn't seem to have an active role in the company.
Brian Hooks and Emma dabbled with another invention, The Grate Grill Oiler. It was a product designed to lubricate grill grates and was even featured on The Grommet. However, the product is no longer in production.