modern christmas tree - shark tank episode

A big break came in 2012, when Disneyland put in an order for 16 custom trees for one of its hotels. That first Christmas, Bliss sold a dozen or so. “It’s a story about family.”īliss started the company in 2011, just as Stoecker was dealing with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.

“Regardless of whether you like the tree aesthetically or not, it’s got a rich history,” Bliss said. The Stoeckers adorned it differently each year Bud would keep detailed notes on decoration placement to avoid repeat performances. It wasn’t green and there were no branches - only rings, on which garland can be piled and ornaments hung. A Masonite board version followed, and it was a third, Plexiglass model that Bliss and his siblings grew up with during holidays at the Stoeckers’ Broomfield home.

Stoecker first created the unusual looking tree in 1965 out of cardboard.

Matt Bliss runs Denver-based Modern Christmas Trees, a company making and selling his grandfather’s vision. Next week, he’ll make his national television debut, as his grandson appears on “Shark Tank” with a revamped version of Stoecker’s 51-year-old invention: a collapsible, artificial Christmas tree made of concentric rings. Lawrence “Bud” Stoecker, a Broomfield resident and engineer, died in September 2012.

Modern christmas tree - shark tank episode