Vertical Visions pops up in city

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Although Vertical Visions has only been in the Springfield market for a short time, partners John Lofton and Rick Mills are making the company's presence felt and seen. Their products, called Dynamic In-flatables a patented technology created by California-based Air Dimensional Designs have been sprinkled throughout the city.|ret||ret||tab|

Lofton and Mills officially opened for business Oct. 11 and already have been showing off their wares at the Southwest Missouri State University Homecoming football game, Bearsfest Village pre-game tailgating parties, America's Call-ing fund-raiser at Schultz and Dooley's in Chesterfield Village and for various merchants, including Piano Craft, Battle-field Station, Johnny Brock's Costume Dungeon and Bam-bino's Cafe.|ret||ret||tab|

The trademarked technology uses fan-propelled inflatables, some with multiple limbs, to "draw attraction and build ex-citement," Lofton said. |ret||ret||tab|

"That's the reason we call them the ultimate attention-getters," Mills added.|ret||ret||tab|

These "attention getters" come in various sizes up to 100 feet high, colors and shapes, with names like Fly Guys, Air Flames, Sky Ticklers, Vertitubes and Airtubes. Mills said they also have a cast of 35 specialty characters including a bride and groom, witch, snowman and Uncle Sam. "We have something for every event and every need," Mills said.|ret||ret||tab|

Vertical Visions can also custom-make the tubes and what Mills calls dancing billboards.|ret||ret||tab|

"You could rent one from us and put your banner on it at anytime," Lofton added.|ret||ret||tab|

Mills said he is talking with SMSU about designing football, basketball and baseball players for its home games. An inflatable Santa Claus will be at Battlefield Mall during the Christmas season, he added.|ret||ret||tab|

Vertical Visions rents and sells the fan blowers and fabrics as Air Dimensional Design's exclusive dealer for the three-state area of Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma. Mills said rent is charged per day, "with various discounts depending upon how often the business or organization will be using them." For example, if a business rents an item for four days, it gets three days free, he said.|ret||ret||tab|

Costs depend on how simple or elaborate each customer's needs are. Uses range from something unique to add excitement to a small occasion, to "dressing up an entire concert, banquet hall or sports arena," Mill said. "We could do it all ... really, depending on the needs and the imagination of the customer."|ret||ret||tab|

Air Dimensional Design's global re-sum includes the Super Bowl, Olym-pics, a millennium party in Tokyo, the World Cup, the White House, the Fiesta and Rose Bowls, Disneyland, The Coun-try Music Awards, The Grammy's and numerous concerts. And last year, 13 Air Dimensional Design Vertitubes created a 40-foot-high American flag at the 2000 Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles.|ret||ret||tab|

While Mills and Lofton are focused on Springfield, they also are targeting the metropolitan areas of Kansas City and St. Louis. In those bigger cities they are talking with larger businesses: malls, corporations, professional and semi-pro sports teams, and event planners, Mills said. One St. Louis client is Landmark Event Partners, which schedules city and county events and concerts. "They know the effect these can have on their events" Mills said.|ret||ret||tab|

And in Kansas City, a Santa Claus will appear in its Independence Center mall.|ret||ret||tab|

Although some areas of the economy are suffering from the Sept. 11 events, Mills and Lofton think Vertical Visions will not.|ret||ret||tab|

"We really did go into it thinking that it was something and is something that is recession-proof," Mills said. "Regardless of what the economy does ... in reality it won't affect (our business). When the economy is good, businesses always want to attract more attention to their business, or occasion or special event they're always wanting to add more pizzazz. ... And when the economy is bad, they want to do it even more."|ret||ret||tab|

Lofton is not worried either.|ret||ret||tab|

"There are always going to be special events, there is always going to be the need for people to get their business recognized," he said. "What people aren't spending on traveling, or buying new cars people are going to do something, they're going to events. ... The possibilities are opened up daily by the people that see them."[[In-content Ad]]