Cuban Offer Defective

Remember the Cabot firefighter who hit it big last month on the ABC reality series “Shark Tank?”

Let’s just say things didn’t end as they appeared on television and because of that, a Bentonville company might reap the benefits.

Jeff Stroope, as Whispers readers might recall, is the firefighter whose innovation – the HyConn fire hydrant and garden hose connector – was the subject of a spirited bidding war among potential investors, won by Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, during one of the show’s episodes.

At its conclusion, which was filmed in November, Stroope sold Cuban the entire company for $1.25 million, a three-year contract at $100,000 per year “to run the show,” and 7.5 percent of all ongoing royalties.

Turns out Cuban wasn’t as interested in manufacturing the product as licensing it to another company and collecting royalties. That led to Stroope’s rejection of his offer.

Enter 101 Ventures, a business incubation company in Bentonville, which now has an equity position in Stroope’s business.

Matt Fifer, who heads up the company along with Jeff Clapper and Mike Cockrell, said several orders have been placed for the fire hydrant connector, with as many as 30 distributors from across the country contacting the firm to help.

“But the biggest momentum is with the garden hose connector,” Fifer said. “We’re in advanced talks with a couple of companies that do have worldwide distribution capabilities.”

The garden hose connectors also are available for $19.99 via www.hy-conn.com.