‘Shark Tank’ features West Michigan business

Kyle Mitchell
·2 min read

KENTWOOD, Mich. (WOOD) — A truly unique business based in West Michigan was featured Friday night on “Shark Tank.”

The Murder Mystery Company in Kentwood puts on immersive theater shows across the country.

Founder and CEO Scott Cramton was looking to expand the business, which already has dozens of locations across the country.

The Murder Mystery Co. pitches to "Shark Tank." (Courtesy ABC)
The Murder Mystery Co. pitches to “Shark Tank.” (Courtesy ABC)

Regardless of making a deal, just being featured on the show was a win for Cramton.

“March is already going to be a record month for us before it airs. Just with the idea that it was airing,” Cramton said.

A Grand Valley State University graduate, he started The Murder Mystery Company right after college from the ground up and now operates out of an office building in Kentwood.

The idea was spurred by a friend who needed some help.

“He came up to me and he’s like, ‘Hey Scott, don’t you do acting?’ And I’m like, ‘Yes, yes I do.’ And he’s like, ‘Do you know a company — I run this bar here that does like murder mysteries?’ And I’m like, ‘No, I don’t offhand,'” Cramton recounted. “And he’s like, ‘Would you like to be a company that does murder mysteries?’ And I’m like, ‘Yes, yes, I would.’”

It takes a lot make everything work, from the call center, which is preparing for a higher call volume this weekend, to maintaining the elaborate collection of costumes and the actors that keep the guests entertained.

“We kept growing and growing and now we’re in 23 locations. Last year, we did over 7,500 shows,” Cramton said.

The goal was to expand the business even more.

“I think bringing back public in a big way, getting a show out in New York, getting a show in Vegas, which is one of the main reasons we went to ‘Shark Tank’ is to be able to really focus in on public and have the right doors open for us,” Cramton said.

The episode aired Friday at 8 p.m. on ABC 4 West Michigan. Cramton made a deal with film and television producer Jason Blum, who offered $350,000 for 10% of the business. You can watch episodes of “Shark Tank” by clicking here.

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