Gents,
Somehow this thread wandered from Joe Alexander himself to his holiday weather woes...but back to the topic--here is the article.
Designing mind takes him from homemade sub to movable walls
Sunday, December 26, 2004
By JOE BLUNDO
Joe Alexander was still in high school when he began building a one-man submarine from surplus airplane parts and an old washing machine. ‘‘It was a little crude, but I was young and foolish," he said. Young, certainly, but not so foolish.
The submarine worked.
Alexander finished the sub when he was about 20 and a student at the University of Cincinnati. Then he tested it by climbing in and submerging it in the swimming pool at the old Desert Inn nightclub on E. Broad Street. The Desert Inn wasn’t in the habit of testing submarines, but Joe’s family owned the place.
By then, it must have been obvious that young Joe would not be entering the family business. Anyone who builds a submarine just to see whether he can is probably headed in a different vocational direction.
The sub, a minor sensation, was displayed at the old COSI for a few years. Alexander went on to other mechanical challenges.
At 54, the soft-spoken Alexander has rather specialized areas of expertise: He knows a lot about movable walls and vintage Mercedes-Benz roadsters.
The two are not as unrelated as they sound. Alexander’s affection for Mercedes cars began at 15, when he received his first one, a 1955 that he still owns.
Fascinated by engineering and design, he turned himself into a Mercedes expert whose knowledge was sought by other enthusiasts. One of them was Dale Beavers, president of Artglo, a sign and design company at 2651 Johnstown Rd. (It made the "ART" sign at the Columbus College of Art & Design.)
Beavers was so impressed by Alexander’s mechanical know-how that he hired him at Artglo.
About four years ago, Beavers told Alexander that a customer wanted a flexible, modular wall system — in two weeks.
He came up with what would later be dubbed Smartwalls, a free-standing, movable, expandable wall system. Decorative magnetic panels are applied to a steel framework that can be reconfigured overnight.
‘‘Companies don’t like a lot of drywall dust from demolition anymore," Alexander explained.
He is now vice president of Artglo’s Smartwalls subsidiary. But he doesn’t look like a vice president. With the sleeves of his work shirt rolled up, he roams the company’s shop, where sparks fly and metal clangs. He looks like what he is — a guy who likes grease under his fingernails.
Alexander lives in Blacklick in a 1,200-square-foot house with an 1,800-square-foot garage. For owners of certain Mercedes-Benz models, visiting Blacklick is like making a pilgrimage. Every year, Alexander invites owners of the cars he loves — sporty Mercedes SLs built in the 1960s and early ’70s — to his home for a workshop.
Cees Klumper travels from the Netherlands.
‘‘Not only does Joe know everything about this, and other Mercedes models of the era, but he is also incredibly generous with this knowledge," Klumper said.
‘‘Very humble, very quiet," said Michael Salemi of Michigan. ‘‘An endless source of information."
Last month, Alexander and Beavers shipped a 1974 Mercedes 450 SLC to Australia to participate in a four-day road rally, the Classic Adelaide Rally. With Alexander driving and Beavers navigating, they placed a respectable 31 st of 60 competitors in their class.
A lot of cars succumbed to mechanical failure before the rally ended — but not Alexander’s. His machines don’t sink unless he wants them to.
Joe Blundo is a Dispatch columnist.
jblundo@dispatch.com
Michael Salemi
1969 280SL
Signal Red w/Black Leather
Restored
