A Melksham teenager is to appear on the hit BBC television programme Dragons’ Den and will become the youngest ever to secure a deal if successful.
Jordan Daykin will appear on the 17th August episode with his offer of investment in his company Grip It which is based at Commerce Way and specialises in an innovative plasterboard fixing that was invented by Jordan.
He was just 18 when the episode was made and as well as being one of the youngest ever to appear on the show, he will be the youngest to gain investment if he strikes a deal with a Dragon.
The show was filmed earlier this year and involves Jordan making a three-minute pitch to multi-millionaire investors with the hope that they will purchase a percentage of his business in exchange for a share of his business. The Dragons all have a wealth of experience and the business contacts they offer and the potential to drive the company forward is what attracts entrepreneurs such as Jordan to the show.
If successful he would use the investment for new machinery, stock increase and a deposit for the warehouse in Melksham. He made his pitch to five Dragons: Deborah Meaden, Duncan Bannatyne, Kelly Hoppen, Peter Jones and Piers Linney.
His business ‘Grip It’ produces a new type of universal fixing which has been designed for use with all types of plasterboard and can hold up to 180kg.
Jordan came up with the idea in 2008 whilst putting up curtain rails with his then 74 year-old grandfather Stan. Having difficulty installing the railings via traditional methods, the pair spent the rest of the afternoon in his grandfather’s garden shed figuring out a more effective mechanism.
Aided by his grandfather’s engineering background, it took the pair just a matter of days to come up with a prototype for the fixing, and, following months of testing, they applied for a patent in 2009, when Jordan was 14.
Once the patent for Grip It was granted in November 2012, Jordan was keen to grow his new business and sent out over 300 product leaflets to retailers across the country. After initial interest from Screwfix, Plumbase and Buildbase, Jordan met with Wickes in September 2013, who are now an official distributor of Grip It products; available to buy in all 220 stores.
Making up the Grip It team with Jordan are 11 of his friends, all aged between 17-19 years old, who look after various areas of the business, from accounts and production to packing and distributing. Jordan’s girlfriend Laura is in charge of sales.
Jordan said, “It will be a strange experience watching myself on TV. When you are in the Den you are just focused on trying to do your product the justice it deserves with your pitch. I was very nervous stepping in there but it was an amazing experience, and I can’t wait to see Grip It on national TV in the hands of some of Britain’s best entrepreneurs.
“I went on Dragons’ Den as I was hoping to get a deal that would mean I could tap into the contacts the Dragons have and expand to the rest of Europe and possibly the USA. If I get investment, I would be the youngest ever to do so; that would be great and reward for all the hard work.
“It was an amazing experience filming the episode and discussing my business with the Dragons who have so much knowledge and understanding for business. I was nervous before and I felt exhausted after, but it was definitely worth it.
“I can’t go into details about the show until after it is aired but it is worth a watch.”
Jordan will appear in the fifth episode of the current series which will be on BBC2 at 8.00pm on Sunday 17th August.
For more information on his business visit www.gripitfixings.co.uk
