The Little Burros was founded by Mollie Thorsen and her father, Bob Thorsen, who turned down royalty deals from investors Lori Greiner and Kevin O’Leary on ABC’s Shark Tank back in 2020.
“Turning down a deal, let alone two, from the sharks was a difficult decision, but at the end of the day, we knew we were already getting traction in the stores, and we would regret taking a royalty,” said Mollie Thorsen, who now serves as the COO of the company.
The deals mark a huge success for the family-owned brand, which has been continually pitching its products to retailers across the U.S. while focussing on building its business online and through other retail partnerships.
The Alexandria, VA-based company succeeded in securing a “golden ticket” deal from Walmart at the retailers’ annual Open Call Event for U.S. Manufacturing companies in June 2022. Through the deal, the company will be able to supply its products to 1,100 Walmart stores by the spring of 2023.
Meanwhile, the partnership with Lowe’s will enable The Little Burros products to launch in over 1,200 Lowe’s stores nationwide starting September 5, 2022.
The Little Burro offers a gardening tray that has been designed to securely store a drink, a cell phone, and short and long handle tools. It allows users to navigate throughout their yard and complete gardening projects easily.