DAVE BARBER AND JASON TURICIK HAVE
loved model rockets since they were neighbors growing up
together in Plymouth. The two turned that passion into a
business last year when they purchased Ohio-based LOC
Precision Rocketry and brought it to their hometown.
The friends maintain their day jobs — Barber working as a financial adviser and Turicik in IT — and run the rocketry manufacturing company as a side hustle, leasing space from Glacier Transit & Storage for their operations.
The company manufactures everything from basic to advanced rocket kits to components and accessories for enthusiasts who want to build their own flyers. Barber says interest has grown in the hobby, thanks to STEM initiatives.Rocket lovers participate in sanctioned launches at approved sites. At Richard Bong State Recreation Area near Kenosha, rockets can fly up to 10,000 feet.
Barber says he and Turicik plan to continue offering old favorites while designing innovative new kits and focusing on education outreach. (Learn more at locprecision.com.)
“The biggest thing for us is education, getting the next generation involved,” he says. “It’s smoke, fire, everything kids need.”
