Dayton company assists with Jesus sculpture at Solid Rock Church

Bankes is president of Global Foam Company, with Brad Seger as his new partner and production manager.

Product: A finish design company for exterior/interior products, featuring simple and complex 3D polystyrene shapes for architecture, signs, displays, events, concrete forms, packaging and casting patterns.

Finished products include: Johnny Bench sculpture at Great American Ballpark, wolves/designs for four Great Wolf Lodge locations, and two island hopper albatross airplanes for Jimmy Buffet’s “Margaritaville” in Myrtle Beach and Las Vegas.

“We started at zero in styrofoam at the beginning of 1998, and within a year and a half, we were able to break even,” said Bankes, who now has 46,000 square feet of warehouse space and eight employees. “Breaking even usually takes five years. That was very exciting for me.”

Process: They use CAD systems to generate 3D designs, or accept 3D files for design. A variety of hard coatings are then applied to protect the surface of the sculptured molds.

Differentiation: “As a small company, we’re able to turn products around in a cost-efficient manner,” said Bankes, who has a BS in industrial engineering from the University of Cincinnati, and an MBA from the University of Dayton.

Contact information: Global Foam Company, 2001 Kuntz Road, Dayton, 45404. (937) 236-8315, corporate@globalms.com, Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mon-Fri.