TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — One Tucson man not only answered the call to serve our country after 9/11 but also reached success as an entrepreneur.
Inside of Former Navy SEAL Eli Crane's midtown business, Bottle Breacher, machines are hard at work engraving bottle openers that are like no other.
Operations didn't start in the Old Pueblo, Former Navy SEAL Eli Crane made the first Bottle Breacher in his garage.
“This is how it all started. I got a real generic one, I painted it black. I took a white punisher sticker I put it on there,” he said.
The idea was all sparked by Crane’s little brother.
“He was a pilot in the Marine Corps and he went to the Philippines. He brought me back a really generic 50-[caliber] bottle opener,” said Crane.
The ammo-themed contraption skyrocketed from there. The 2015 Super Bowl Champions all have a Bottle Breacher. Crane and his wife struck a deal on the television series "Shark Tank."
“Jen and I actually walked out of the tank, wondering, you know, thinking to ourselves. 'Wow, that was a lot easier than we thought it would be.' The sharks were awesome. They were really gracious to us and our deal obviously went really well,” he recalled.
Even with all the success, Crane hasn't forgotten his family or his Navy roots.
Behind every press of a drill is inspiration from crane’s former boss, the American Sniper, Chris Kyle.
“He was big on tough love. When you get out into the real world, especially in business where you're, it's a new battlefield for you. Hugs and feelings don't get it done. You have to be disciplined, you have to be smart and you have to work harder than anybody,” said Crane.
He said what makes his business the 'Spirit of Southern Arizona' is keeping things local.
"Anything that is the Spirit of Arizona I think should have a mission, at its core and its roots, and that is something we've always had here from manufacturing here, providing jobs here, [and] supporting local businesses," he said.
Bottle Breacher also makes it a point to give back to Arizona military organizations.
