Shark Tank – Parker’s Real Maple Owner Joshua Parker Feeds The Sharks

This week on Shark Tank, 18-year-old Joshua Parker, of Canton, New York dips a toe or two into the tank with the hope of convincing at least one Shark to invest in his maple syrup business: Parker’s Real Maple.

At the age of just 11, Joshua Parker learned how to make maple syrup while he was on a school field trip. A fun afternoon turned into a passion, and now, at the age of 18, Joshua finds himself in the Shark Tank making a business pitch to some the most ferocious oxygen breathing Sharks on the planet.

In June 2015, Parker appeared on Glenn Beck’s nationally syndicated radio show to talk about his passion, and since that time he hasn’t looked back. The interview had a positive effect on the trajectory of his company, propelling it into the stratosphere. By the end of 2015, Parker’s Maple was available in over 500 retail locations nationwide.

Now, Parker is in a position where he needs an investor, or two, or three, to provide the capital that will allow him to open the tap on production.

Feeding The Sharks

Parker is in the Tank with five Sharks: Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, Kevin O’Leary, Lori Greiner, and Robert Herjavec.

The Ask

Joshua offered 20 percent of his company in exchange for an investment of $200,000.

• Projected sales for 2016: $1.5 million.
• Total sales since the company started: $360,000

Did the Sharks Bite?

No, despite loving the product, the Sharks decided not to invest due to small margins and Joshua’s overly optimistic forecast of $1.5 million in sales by the end of 2016. Joshua’s sales projection for 2016 was based on “optimism,” not actual order commitments from retailers.

A Closer Look

• Here’s the Parker’s Maple website
• The company is also active on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
• You can also check out Josh on his personal Facebook page
• Josh also has a personal Twitter account
• Josh is in a relationship with Alessandra Gennarelli, according to his Facebook profile
• You can also check out Alessandra Gennarelli on Instagram
• Clarkson University will host a viewing party during the Shark Tank broadcast, and Joshua be on hand to talk about his business and answer questions after the show airs.

Parker’s Real Maple – Stepping Stone

You can watch Parker’s pitch on Shark Tank when episode 806 airs at 9 p.m. on Friday, October 21 on ABC.