CONCRETE CASTINGS: BUSINESS OFFERS `REAL LIVE' LOOK TO OUTDOOR DECORATIONS

Clarence Shirrell added patching material to a birdbath before sanding it.

Crista Meyer sanded a deer casting to prepare it for painting.

Move aside, Dr. Doolittle.

When Clarence Lee Shirrell talks about birds and animals, he may be referring to his menagerie of concrete castings, at the business of the same name, north of Jackson.

Or, he may be referring to the live birds and animals he maintains at Concrete Castings.

Shirrell, a fancier of exotic animals, has llamas, a miniature donkey, Nigerian dwarf goats, and owns a Great Pyrenees Dog. He also has a variety of ducks, geese, swans, pigeons, doves, and a peacock.

If Shirrell starts taking about turtles, alligators, lions, deer and armadillos, he's probably referring to figures in his casting yard.

Also found in the casting yard are statues of angels, Indians, fountains, and much more.

Concrete Castings is the second career for Shirrell, who previously cast figures as a hobby.

"I started in the casting business in the basement of my home during the mid-1950s," said Shirrell, who was then involved with Cape Ready Mix, a family business founded by his father.

The castings were eventually introduced into the family business, where it remained until 1980s, when Shirrell, then vice president of Cape Ready Mix, left the family business. He retained the concrete casting business at Chaffee about three years before moving to his current location on the outer road of Interstate 55, north of Jackson and Fruitland.

Shirrell is a past president of the National Architectural Precast Association and the National Precast Concrete Association. Locally, he has served as chairman of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce, and chairman of the Missouri Division of the American Cancer Society. He has also served more than 25 years on the Southeast Missouri Hospital Board of Trustees.

At Concrete Castings, the inventory includes more than 1,500 items, said Shirrell.

A giant, 4,000-pound, painted, turtle is one of the first items motorists traveling south on the outer road see at the castings yard.

"The turtle is not for sale," said Shirrell. "I hauled that in from Oklahoma on a flat-bed truck."

Shirrell has received a lot of comments, and some offers, to buy the large turtle.

From the north on the off-road, from Fruitland, the first giant animal to grab motorists' attention is a 2,500-pound statute of a lion at the driveway. Inside the yard, customers are greeted by everything from two-inch baby rabbits to an eight-foot long alligator.

Fountains, bird baths, angels, religious castings and patio block are most popular with customers, said Shirrell. "And, Gargoyles. Our gargoyles disappear fast."

Shirrell said pours are made about three days a week.

"We have about 400 molds," he said, adding that the list includes aluminum, metal, wood, plastic and fiberglass molds. These include a number of designs, some used for wall hangings and patio blocks.

Some of the items we make here have the "Dexter Rock" look, said Shirrell, and are outlined with rocks from the Dexter area.

Shirrell also buys a number of figures. "I probably buy more than I make now. This gives me a greater assortment of figures. I can bring in a lot of figures that you won't normally find in this area," he explained.

Connie Kaempfe and Christa Meyer help make Concrete Castings more attractive.

Kaempfe is a painter and artist, and is responsible for the colorful items in the yard.

"I've been putting paint on figurines and designs for about 10 years," said Kaempfe, who utilizes dry brushes and air brushes to give statues special appearances.

"A lot of buyers want the figures plain, and will do their own painting," said Shirrell, "But, many want them already painted, which keeps Connie (Kaempfe) busy."

Meyer is responsible for much of the touch-up work on the castings.

"Whether we pour them, or buy them, most items require some touch-up work," said Shirrell. "A seam may have to be sanded down, and you'll always have some rough edges that have to be smoothed."

When Shirrell is traveling, he's apt to stop at concrete castings sites along the road.

"I'm always on the outlook for new items," he said. "I'm always looking for something different."

One of the statues that creates a lot of comment is that of a man in a bathtub, complete with shower nozzle, back brush, and a six-pack. "A lot of people look at this one," said Shirrell.

Another item that attracted comments and looks was a large display of two horses pulling a wagon, complete with driver.

"This figurine had been in the yard more that two years," said Shirrell. "We had lookers, but no buyers. It sold recently, however, and while the driver was being painted, a second customer came by, saying if we could find a driver, he wanted the display."

You never know what will sell, said Shirrell, who counts a lot of regular customers on his list.

"Trends come and go," he said. "That's the reason we like to offer a big selection."