What Happened To Invis-A-Rack From Shark Tank Season 3?

If you're a fan of "Shark Tank," you probably saw the Season 3 Episode 2 pitch from Donny McCall for Invis-A-Rack. It was a promising product, as plenty of people can find utility in a collapsible cargo rack for their truck beds. Indeed, cargo racks have almost always been permanent fixtures on trucks, and they require an exceedingly long time to install and remove. Such conventional cargo racks are also solid in design, meaning you can't practically take one with you when it's not attached to the bed. A collapsible model would solve all those problems, which is where Invis-A-Rack comes into play.

Unfortunately, Invis-A-Rack failed to score a deal with any of the sharks, and Donny McCall had to walk away without a handshake. Nonetheless, the sharks' reception to the product was notably positive. So even though the concept didn't take off on "Shark Tank," it was far from the type of failed pitch like the Sullivan Generator, which drew raucous laughter from the sharks. Still, the sharks' criticisms of the Invis-A-Rack were reasonable, if not completely fair. Kevin and Daemon expressed their main misgivings towards the business model itself, specifically the owner's unwillingness to expand manufacturing internationally. 

McCall's stance against foreign production was noble, however, as he claimed his vision was to use the product as a way to rejuvenate the economically depressed area of North Carolina from where it was conceived. The Invis-A-Rack had clear obstacles, and it's been over a decade since its appearance on "Shark Tank." Surprisingly, it's still available for purchase. 

While there were no deals made for the Invis-A-Rack on "Shark Tank," that's not to say that the sharks' interest wasn't piqued. The introduction wasn't quite as much of a spectacle as, for example, the now-infamous Haven Door Lock and its desperate display to kick down a deadlocked door, but the practical utility of a collapsible cargo rack was enough to impress. Founder Donny McCall initially asked for $100,000 for 10% of the company, placing its value at a clean 1 million dollars. Up until this point, the product had made $50,000 in sales, with 150 units sold. 

Furthermore, the collapsible cargo rack had a retail price of less than $350, which meant it could compete against similar products. However, the first red flag was the cost of production. McCall confessed that the rack cost $250 to make, meaning the profit per unit was about $100 — and the big shock was that those sales hadn't yielded a single dollar in profits. The sharks immediately began questioning this production cost, pressing McCall on why he wouldn't move manufacturing overseas. 

The all-American focus of the Invis-A-Rack was purposefully geared toward domestic production. It originated in North Carolina, where designer and owner Donny McCall claimed it could rejuvenate his town. In other words, this product was contingent upon its potential to boost the local economy, so McCall's unwillingness to employ foreign production was admirable, if not stubborn. Thus, the Invis-A-Rack was destined to be all-American produced, and it, therefore, failed to secure a deal with the sharks. But such a useful, coveted product apparently didn't need the support of celebrity investors to gain a foothold in the market, as it's still available today.

Those who saw the second episode of the third season of "Shark Tank" may have assumed that Invis-A-Rack's appearance was the end of the line for the company, especially since none of the sharks took the bait. Surprisingly, it's still around. However, the company has certainly changed since its 2012 airing, and some interesting developments have shaped it into something quite different from the business model pitched on the show. 

For starters, founder Donny McCall's refusal to outsource the manufacturing was the main reason he failed to secure a deal with the sharks — but that all-American focus caught the attention of Josh Knichel, a sales manager from Dee Zee Inc. After seeing the episode, he reached out to McCall, and they struck a partnership within no time. It helps that McCall was already aware of the Iowa-based company's reputation for all-American manufacturing as well as its specialization in vehicle accessories. As McCall said about the deal, "Dee Zee had been on my radar for a few years as a company I thought would be a natural fit for Invis-A-Rack."

The deal was completed by November 2012, and it meant that Dee Zee now had the exclusive license for all things Invis-A-Rack, including distribution, marketing, and even manufacturing. Invis-A-Rack moved to Dee Zee, meaning McCall's dream of keeping the product entirely in North Carolina wasn't fully realized. Nonetheless, his insistence on keeping it made in America certainly paid off in the end.

Yes, the Invis-A-Rack is still available for purchase after over a decade since its appearance on Shark Tank. It's available on the Dee Zee Inc. website, and you may also find the product listed on Amazon, as well (where the reviews are fairly mixed). Again, Donny McCall's noble goal to revitalize his North Carolina hometown wasn't materialized through Invis-A-Rack. 

In the episode, Donny McCall explained how he dreamed of Invis-A-Rack as creating a source of jobs for his hometown in North Carolina, where the flight of industrial jobs had led to an impoverishment of the community. That sounds like a story far too common in the United States, which is why, these days, "Made in America" is such a surprise to find on products like tools. But, Dee Zee's manufacturing is based in Des Moines, Iowa. On the Dee Zee product page, it claims that the company preserved McCall's promise by keeping the production in America's heartland. Hopefully, Invis-A-Rack's survival to this day and age is a testament to the power of that promise.

For those who were rooting for Donny McCall and his noble vision, there's some good news. According to his LinkedIn account, Donny is doing well. After licensing Invis-A-Rack to Dee Vee Inc. in 2013, he founded Get Outside Events, which organized races and 5Ks with the goal of connecting people via outdoor events. That ended in 2022, while Donny had, in the meantime, secured an insurance license and worked in the North Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company. 

While all these endeavors were going on, Donny served as the president of Perrycraft and continues to hold that role to this day. Unsurprisingly, the company focuses on delivering "custom, cargo management options." That sounds like something right up Donny's alley. And, as can be expected from the man who refused to move production overseas in the face of overwhelming criticism from Shark Tank, all the Perrycraft systems are made in the USA.

Finally, dispelling all doubt whether Donny McCall gave up his vision of rejuvenating the local North Carolina economy, he's currently the owner of Pinpoint Local. It's a brand that seeks to help small businesses develop their online presence by building and hosting websites as well as improving those websites' SEO. Started in 2019, Pinpoint Local is still open for business. All these signs point towards a career with the same vision that we saw on Shark Tank. Donny McCall is a champion of small businesses, a noble undertaking that even the sharks might applaud.