Future clear for Dyna-Fog

The 1960s-era metal spray gun resting in the showroom of Curtis Dyna-Fog Ltd. easily could be mistaken for a prop from the popular "Ghostbusters" movie.

And although makers of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" film purchased six other fogging machines-and four more for the upcoming sequel-to blow

Its foggers and sprayers instead are used worldwide by the U.S. military, foreign governments or anyone needing relief from pesky mosquitoes and insects. Not to wear out the entertainment link, but Disney buys the company's products to spray its theme parks and hotels.

Curtis Dyna-Fog's line of models now numbers 70 and includes the high-tech Dyna-Jet L30, which mounts on the back of a truck and features a blower that covers 1,350 cubic feet per minute. It is widely employed by troops in Iraq to eradicate sand flies.

And following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, Curtis Dyna-Fog donated equipment to the hardest hit regions in Southeast Asia to help control the mosquito population and the spread of disease.

"I like to think we're in the business of helping save lives," said company President Conrad McGinnis. "Most people don't really realize what we do, but there's not a need for them to know."

Indeed, Curtis Dyna-Fog sits on 32 acres along U.S. 31 just south of the State Road 32 intersection. Its neighbor to the north is a countrystyle bar that promotes karaoke night on a small outdoor billboard.

McGinnis, 67, is a 30-year veteran of Curtis Dyna-Fog who, along with six partners, purchased its assets in 1992 from Russell Curtis' widow and her second husband, who was the former company president.

Russell Curtis, who died in the early 1980s, and his father, W.H. Curtis, founded predecessor Curtis Automotive Devices in 1947 in Dayton, Ohio.

The company specialized in manufacturing valves for the automotive and aircraft industries-Russell earned an aeronautical engineering degree from the University of Cincinnati-and moved to Bedford in 1952 to be closer to major customers.

Russell then moved the company to a newly constructed 20,000square-foot facility in Westfield in 1958, four years after he had produced the first pulse-jet mosquito fogger for commercial use. The building now is four times its original size. To reflect the change in direction, Russell adopted the name Curtis Dyna-Products Corp., which was revised to the current moniker during the buyout.

Technologically savvy

The company has remained one of the top manufacturers in the industry mainly due to its ability to introduce the latest advancements in technology. Russell Curtis had roughly 100 patents credited to him.

Upon its move to Westfield, Curtis Dyna-Fog began producing a

"cold-fog" sprayer that paved the way for ultra-low-volume technology. The Dyna Jet model, for instance, is electrically powered by a ULV generator equipped with a digitally controlled high-speed atomizer that produces consistent-size droplets conventional nozzles cannot match.

The feature not only ensures an even spray, but also helps conserve chemicals and is more environmentally friendly.

Curtis Dyna-Fog employs 75 people, including five engineers who design its models, and handles all aspects of the business in-house, from making parts to assembly to distribution. Its products are sold through several distributors to buyers in 70 countries and range in price from less than $200 for a portable sprayer to as much as $15,000 for the truck-mounted version.

Global positioning systems are available for all truck-mounted models. Curtis Dyna-Fog partnered with a GPS supplier three years ago, allowing operators to track where the sprayers travel, when they're operating, and how much chemical was used. The information can be downloaded and printed out to archive.

Flow rates are controlled by a radar that sends a signal to the pump, indicating whether the flow needs to be increased or reduced.

Global presence

China is beginning to account for a large part of Curtis Dyna-Fog's international business, as well as Mexico and countries in Asia and South America. In fact, 55 percent of its annual revenue comes from outside the United States-up from 15 percent of revenue when the company was purchased in 1992.

McGinnis said international business has enabled the company to reach yearly sales of $7.5 million, an amount he expects to increase next year.

Joe Conlon, technical adviser for the New Jersey-based American Mosquito Control Association, estimates the total market for fogger equipment and chemicals at about $250 million. He pegged Curtis Dyna-Fog as a top-three developer of ULV foggers.

International sales could drive the industry even more, Conlon said, as countries become more concerned about controlling mosquito-carried illnesses following the spread of the West Nile virus.

To remain competitive abroad, the company is creating two cheaper fogger models targeted toward Asian countries, to stave off competition that is beginning to emerge in Korea and China. Curtis DynaFog may even establish operations in China, McGinnis said.

Its foray into the foreign market has not gone unnoticed by those familiar with the company.

"What has always stuck out with me is how active and successful they have been with international sales," said Jeff Burt, president of the Hamilton County Affiance. "And that doesn't tend to happen with a lot of companies [of that size]."

The growth from the international market has helped the company protect itself from any volatility that might occur within the industry, McGinnis said.

Affiliates abound

The handful of affiliates underneath the corporate umbrella adds a bit more comfort. One, Midwest Sewing LLC, used to supply Curtis with bags for some of its equipment. When it went out of business, Curtis Dyna-Fog bought the inventory of the Lebanon-based company and began sewing its own bags and straps.

The subsidiary now has 50 accounts, including Hoover.

Another, Air-Mate Inc., manufactures odor-control products used by the hotel industry to sanitize rooms. Other formulas might neutralize smoke odor from fire damage or odors from wastewater, sewage or garbage.

The company even makes a plastic plug, of which it sells roughly 4 million annually, to cap holes that have been bored in cement during applications for termite treatment. The plugs are sold in a container of 250 for $9.

Its core products meant to combat the mosquito and insect populations have proven more versatile, however. Asian governments loaded the sprayers with disinfectants to combat the threat of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.

"We couldn't make a hand-held model fast enough," McGinnis said. "Now, they're buying it for the avian bird flu."

Jeff Ling, president of Flock Fighters USA in Fort Wayne, fills the foggers with a grape-scented, non-lethal repellent to chase away birds. Ling, who founded the company in 1998, has fogged buildings in downtown Indianapolis in past years to drive bothersome starlings away.

Ling appreciates Curtis Dyna-Fog's willingness to accommodate his needs by modifying the equipment he purchases when necessary. And he prefers to support Hoosier-based businesses.

It's an enterprise that Julie Sole, executive director of the WestfieldWashington Chamber of Commerce, described as quiet, although it did receive some media attention when it donated to tsunami relief efforts.

Said Sole: "People are just amazed to find out what goes on there."