When Dave Alwan of Echo Valley Meats appeared on season 6 of “Shark Tank,” he was being given a second chance to pitch his company.
Despite being turned down for a deal in season four, Alwan was back and more prepared than ever, having strategized his customer acquisition costs and developed a marketing strategy. The third-generation farmer founded the company with his wife and grew it into a successful gourmet meat mail-order business.
After appearing on “Shark Tank” a second time, Alwan secured a deal with Mark Cuban for $150,000 for 25 percent equity in the business.
Key Takeaways: Echo Valley Meats Shark Tank Update
- Product: Gourmet meat mail-order business.
- Founder: Dave Alwan
- Investment Ask: $150,000 for 25% equity.
- Shark Response: Mark Cuban invested $150,000 for 25% equity.
- Post-Show Success: After appearing on “Shark Tank,” Echo Valley Meats saw a significant boost in sales, expanded their customer base nationwide, and moved into the corporate gift market.
Where Is Echo Valley Meats Now?
After first appearing on “Shark Tank during season four, his sales went through the roof.
According to the Shark Tank Blog, the company did seven figures in sales the week after the episode aired. After his season four appearance, Alwan also updated his website and received thousands of emails in one weekend, some of which included investment offers.
In an interview with Heavy, Alwan said that after his second appearance, Echo Valley Meats’ online and mail-order sales increased significantly. “With our prime time exposure, our customer demographics have expanded and we are delivering from New York to California. Our repeat customer ratio has sky rocketed,” he told Heavy. Looking to the future in the 2015 article, he told Heavy that the company would be expanding into the corporate gift and incentive market with a fellow “Shark Tank” company.
Alwan has also appeared on QVC to sell the gourmet meats and joined nearly 80 “Shark Tank” alumni in helping to inspire and pay it forward to other entrepreneurs.