ENTREPRENEUR
Tropical Interiors owner adds fencing, wall to ventures.
From plants to fences
Thursday, November 29, 2007
DAYTON — Wayne Kissell acknowledges that enlivening offices and homes with tropical greenery has been his "bread and butter" for nearly three decades.
But Kissell, president of Tropical Interiors, says that market has proven increasingly tight, with little room for great growth.
Extras
So he has invested some $500,000 to go in a new direction with a new company — Stonetree Midwest Concrete Fence Systems.
Both companies have moved to a new home at 3949 Dayton Park Drive. Previously, a warehouse on Linden Avenue was home. A $10,000 grant from the city of Dayton assisted the move.
Tropical Interiors isn't closing, Kissell is quick to explain. That company has placed and maintained plants in malls, hospitals and upscale homes and will continue to do so. It has made inroads into Columbus and Cincinnati, as well.
But the Kettering resident sees potential for Stonetree, which builds and installs precast concrete fences and walls. There are possibilities for the walls along highways, around homes and businesses, even perhaps at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, as it embarks on an expected base realignment and Closure-related building boom.
Stonetree is a trademark for wall and fence paneling containing a Belgian metal fiber.
According to Kissell, the material costs less than half the price of a similar stone wall and can be installed more quickly.
"The way I found it: I was honestly looking for a replacement for my own fence," he said.
Though he has just four employees today, he hopes to keep 10 employees busy for most of a year with his new panel-molding machine. Work will depend on sales, contacts and the economy, Kissell said.
He has contacted base personnel and sent mailers to architects and home and office builders, too.
"It's a unique product for this area," he said.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2390 or
tgnau@DaytonDailyNews.com.
