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By Thomas Gnau, Staff Writer Updated 11:54 PM Tuesday, August 24, 2010

The day before the November 2008 election, FiberSystems Inc.’s backlog of orders with power companies was strong.

The day after the election, those orders dropped off — a fall eventually in excess of 90 percent, according to leaders of FiberSystems, a Dayton fiber-reinforced plastics (FRP) manufacturer.

“Suddenly, the day after the election, we started getting calls, canceling this, canceling that,” said Diana Partin, the company’s vice president and general manager.

FiberSystems principals believe power and utility companies were wary of what shape future federal energy legislation might take.

That’s one reason the company is branching out — into materials for wind turbine production and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

When Tech Town’s first tenant, the Creative Technology Center, formally opened its doors in August 2009, organizers flew a radio-controlled UAV overhead to celebrate. That UAV’s FRP body was built by FiberSystems.

When New York utility company Con Edison needed manhole covers that didn’t conduct electricity — and hence, wouldn’t shock pedestrians — the company knew who to call: FiberSystems.

When a symposium of wind turbine manufacturers was held in Washington Twp. last month, FiberSystems vice president of sales engineering, David Dean, was there.

The closely held company is really a family of companies, all with unique owners and all with involvement by two principal owners, T.R. and Janice Morton. The firm has about 35 employees in Dayton and about 45 others in Florida and California. The company is based at 521 Kiser St., the former Blue Bird Bakery home.

The company didn’t share revenue or sales figures, but it acknowledged that the recent recession had an all-too-familiar impact.

“I think it would be fair to say we were hit by the economic downturn like everyone else,” Partin said.

Utility uses are still close to the heart of what the company does. FiberSystems is building 12-inch and 16-inch diameter water pipes for the 9/11 memorial being built in New York City. The 5,000 feet of fiberglass pipes the company makes will feed a fountain at the site.

The advantage of fiber material is that it’s light, strong and corrosion-resistant.

“Building something in Dayton, Ohio, that fits in New York City without a lot of grief is really a testament from the contractors,” Dean said.