Forget the sluggish economy and a sinking stock market.

Prosoco Inc. is cleaning up in Lawrence.

“We’ve done extremely well,” said Bruce Boyer, Prosoco’s vice president for production. “Despite the general downturn in the economy recently, sales have been solid. We’ve actually experienced sales increases and better market penetration.”

To make room for the added business, the Lawrence-based maker of cleaning and restoration products is busy adding 56,000 square feet to its production plant and headquarters in the East Hills Business Park.

The $2.5 million project will add warehouse space to the $8 million building that opened four years ago. The company expects to add at least seven employees to its 64-member work force in Lawrence, the bulk of Prosoco’s 80-member nationwide payroll.

In planning for the project, company officials said the addition would add flexibility and clear a path for new business — and possibly the addition of a second shift of employees.

“We think this is really a springboard that will let us do a lot of expansion in the future,” Boyer said.

‘True jewel’

Such visions bring smiles to the faces of economic-development officials, who have watched the company grow since arriving from Kansas City, Kan., in 1999. When Prosoco opened its new plant and headquarters at East Hills, the company had only 52 employees.

Jeff Plumlee, general manager of Concrete Science Services of Kansas, cleans a concrete patio using products made at Prosoco Inc. In back from left are David Boyer, president of Prosoco and his brother, Bruce, vice president for production at the company.

“They just moved here three years ago, and now they’re almost doubling the size of their building,” said Lynn Parman, vice president for economic development at the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce. “They’re somewhat recession-proof. When the economy slows down people take care of their existing buildings, and Prosoco’s part of the solution.

“We have a true jewel in Prosoco being here, because of what they do and what they add to our economy. They’re definitely one to watch.”

The company makes products for cleaning, protecting and maintaining concrete, brick and stone. Prosoco products have handled a variety of clean-up and restoration jobs, including Grand Central Station, the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty in New York, plus the U.S. Capitol and Allen Fieldhouse.

In 1976, Paramount Pictures used eight cases of Prosoco solutions to clean up the mess left behind by King Kong on terra cotta terraces of the World Trade Center.

After the 9-11 terror attacks, crews in New York and Washington used Prosoco products to remove grime from buildings still standing around the World Trade Center site, and to cleanse jet fuel and other materials from damaged areas of the Pentagon.

Counting on Lawrence

Today, the technology and commitment behind such products is stirred inside a building at 3741 Greenway Circle, where company officials can draw from a skilled work force in Lawrence and surrounding areas.

“We’re a little different from some of the other manufacturers around here in that Lawrence is home to our corporate headquarters,” Boyer said. “In addition to production personnel, we’ve had to count on Lawrence to provide people for our marketing, accounting and customer service departments, our laboratory, and other executive and technical areas.

“The city has exceeded expectation. And it’s close enough to Kansas City that we’ve been able to retain many of our valuable veteran employees as commuters.”

In November, Lawrence city commissioners approved a 10-year, 55-percent tax abatement for Prosoco’s expansion project. The tax break is expected to save the company about $31,000, based on this year’s tax rates.

“The support we’ve received from the city, the Lawrence Chamber and other area businesses has also been more than we expected,” Boyer said.

Last month, Prosoco was named 2003 Heart of America Family Business of the Year, an award whose sponsors include First National Bank, Grant Thornton and the Entrepreneurial Growth Resource Center at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Prosoco won in the category for businesses with 50 to 250 employees.

To qualify, a business must be in operation for at least five years, link family and business, possess a history of community participation and philanthropy and have plans for leadership succession.

“We take pride in the fact that we are family owned,” said David Boyer, Prosoco president and Bruce Boyer’s brother.

Their father, Jerry Boyer, is chief executive officer, and their grandfather, Al Boyer, founded the company in 1939, inside the garage at a family-owned used car lot.

“The construction industry was born out of family traditions and the hard-working, creative individuals who our customers associate with the products they rely on,” David Boyer said. “Remove the individual, buy out the family values, and something very important is lost. Our customers recognize that.

“I’m grateful for the opportunities and values our father has provided us, and the opportunity his father provided him.”