Now branded as “Slick Barrier,” this locally developed product that had a successful appearance on “Shark Tank” early last year is a patented revolutionary barrier system applied to a home’s or business’s exterior that stops crawling pests from getting inside. Gilbert-based Slick Barrier launched as a service in 2018 and recently launched a retail side for DIY in all Home Depot stores in Arizona and Texas. “We believe the retail and service sides can complement each other effectively,” says co-founder Tony Gonzalez.
Noting that not everyone wants professional service, he explains, “Some may have budget constraints or simply enjoy the DIY process. Many DIYers take pride in doing the work themselves. “Conversely, our retail side benefits as well; customers who attempt to install Slick Barrier themselves and find it challenging often turn to our service team for assistance. This synergy between retail and service strengthens our overall mission to provide comprehensive pest control solutions.”
The product’s initial name of Scorpion Repel focused on the raison d’être underlying its development, as Gonzalez was compelled by his son’s life-threatening reaction to a scorpion sting to join friend Aaron Gonzalez in the quest to better protect their homes against our environment’s ubiquitous pest.
“We began by showcasing at local home shows, bringing scorpions to demonstrate how our product worked,” Gonzales relates. “As we aimed to improve our products, we discovered they were effective against a wider range of pests, including rodents, roaches, lizards and ants — basically anything that can’t climb glass. To appeal to a broader audience, we rebranded as Slick Barrier.”
Growing the business involved testing — and evolving — more than just the product. “We began by separating our product from the service, naming the product AVERZION. However, we encountered a few issues with the AVERZION name, primarily that it wasn’t descriptive enough to educate our customers. Therefore, we are moving on from AVERZION and Scorpion Repel, and have decided on Slick Barrier for our products and Slick Barrier Pro for our talented installation team that will service homes in Arizona,” explains Gonzalez.
“Our journey with naming has been interesting,” Gonzalez continues. “When starting a business, you can’t be afraid to change and adapt quickly. We pride ourselves on our ability to respond to market needs and customer feedback. I’m never one to say never, but I believe our journey with the naming of our products has reached its conclusion.”
Photo courtesy by American Broadcast Companies, Inc.
