FORT MADISON – Anthony Montez is so advanced, he wants to Beam You Up.
Not the type of beaming where you get de-atomized and pulled through a tiny wormhole from point A to point B, and then reassembled by Montgomery Scott. He’s got a milder form of beaming.
Montez has opened Beam It Up Laser Works at 615 8th Street on the northeast corner of the former Lee County Bank building. A small reception area opens up into a lab in the back with laser etching equipment where Montez can laser etch just about everything except PVC piping.
It’s another story of a hobby turning profitable as Montez originally bought his first laser as a gift to his wife during the COVID pandemic.
“During the pandemic, I got my very first laser because I was losing my mind being at home with my kids 23.5 hours a day,” he told Fort Madison Chamber of Commerce ambassadors Friday morning during a ribbon cutting at his store.
“It was supposed to be a gift for my wife, but I put it together to learn how to use it so I could teach her - and she’s never used it since.
“I’ll let her, but she’s not interested.”
Montez said he has already cultivated some working partnerships with other retail outlets in Fort Madison including Lost Bear Coffee. He said now the business is a small footprint, but it has the feeling of a larger future.
“Our slogan is ‘If you can dream it up, we can beam it up',” Montez said.
“This has grown from a passion and a hobby to now this. We’re really excited about it and this is a small step to a much bigger future for us.”
He said there are some materials you can’t laser on such as PVC which creates a harmful gas, but he said Material Safety Data Sheets are helpful in keeping the operation safe.
He also has a UV Laser which works well on glass.
The business has gotten its start mostly from word of mouth and social media. Montez said he’s had enough orders to keep him busy out of the gate.
“I wish I had more time, I have more business than I anticipated when I started. Before we even opened these doors, people were calling and wanting to find out more about us,” Montez said.
He said one of his favorite things to do is work on empty whiskey bottles. Montez said he can cut the bottles and invert them where he can insert a cork stand to make a wine glass and then etch the surface with graphics, words, etc.
Laser etching and engraving can be done on just about anything anyone can dream up, Montez said, including Christmas ornaments, photo frames, glass memorabilia, all locally produced.
The six-year veteran of the Air Force has extensive retail experience managing rental outlets in the area. He moved to Fort Madison in 2022 where his father-in-law had a home vacant.
Montez said he loves the city and the retail environment. The Wisconsin native said he wishes there was a bit more snow for the holiday.
“I wish we had more snow and I know people hate when I say that, but it is what it is,” he said.
Beam It Up can be found on social media at @beamituplw for Instagram, Facebook, and X, and his website is being developed but is functional at www.beamituplw.com.
He can also be reached by email at anthony@beamituplw.com or by phone at 530-403-7785.
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