Tree Hugger

From citrus trees in Central Florida to date palm trees in the Middle East, a plastic cone developed in DeSoto County graces tree trunks worldwide.

Johnny Georges, the entrepreneur behind that product, Tree T-Pee, says he has customers in places such as Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Spain and across the United States. Not bad for a company in Arcadia, some 50 miles north of Fort Myers and some 50 miles west of Sarasota.

The Tree T-Pee can be used on a variety of trees and has several benefits, Georges says, among them water conservation and frost protection. After a successful appearance on the television show “Shark Tank,” he's on a mission to bring Tree T-Pee not just to more farmers in Florida, but also to farmers everywhere.