Bishop’s Falls man to pitch to dragons
Mark Brace hopes investors will see the potential in his granite company
A Bishop’s Falls man is pitching his dream of granite production in Newfoundland and Labrador to the TV show “Dragon’s Den.”
Mark Brace owns Ocean Floor Granite. He has dreams, and a business plan, of turning his business into a production operation employing 500 people producing granite products for the world market such as custom fireplaces, floor tiles, granite cladding and paving stones and countertops.
Brace said what he thought was a followup interview last week turned into an invite to pitch to the dragons in August.,
He said he owns 75 acres of land with the “rarest black granite in all of North America,” but was set back by a theft that forced him to do a major electrical upgrade.
The potential for Newfoundland and Labrador granite quarries is revenue in the billions, he said, but added raising the capital to explore the opportunities is the problem. As for pitching to the long-running CBC entrepreneurial show, Brace said while it could be a bit of a nervous situation, he knows what to expect.
“I have watched it all my life. I really enjoy the show,” said 27-year-old Brace.
“Congratulations, your business made quite the impression! Please consider this a tentative invitation to you to pitch your business to the Dragons, in Toronto, for our upcoming season,” Dragon’s Den said in an email supplied by Brace. “Things are a little different this year — with uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, we do not yet have official confirmation for filming dates. Therefore, we cannot “officially” book you for a filming date at this time.”
Dragon’s Den confirmed Brace has been invited to pitch when production restarts.