TV's Dragons invest $100K in Regina clothing firm
CBC News
Posted: Oct 4, 2012 11:14 AM CST
Last Updated: Oct 4, 2012 11:11 AM CST
Regina's Kalen Emsley was one of the Ten Tree Apparel owners seen making a pitch on Dragons' Den Wednesday night. (CBC)Three Regina entrepreneurs were big winners on the TV show Dragons' Den this week — scoring a $100,000 investment for their environmentally friendly clothing company.
Ten Tree Apparel's selling point is that it plants 10 trees for every item of clothing purchased.
Appearing on the CBC show Wednesday, company owners David Luba, Kalen Emsley and Derrick Emsley told the "Dragons" that sales are doubling every month and they have 33 stores in North America carrying their product.
The recent university graduates launched the company earlier this year and hope to expand worldwide.
Several of the 'Dragons' — the investors who are the stars of the show — said they wanted to buy in and the deal was made.
Not everyone on the show thought Ten Tree had a solid business model, however.
"You're all idiots," Kevin O'Leary said to his show colleagues.
Luba said it was an incredible feeling to have Bruce Croxon and Arlene Dickinson agree to buy 20 per cent of their company for $100,000.
"Sometimes it feels like a dream but to have it all come true feels pretty phenomenal," he said.
This year, the company says, it has planted 100,000 trees.
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