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Brooklyn,____ incC l ^ %u00bb ______11____________1 aiiegeiimuer s Sets Sights On Expatlsiuii NuW And GrOWSThe completed set as it appears in the studio, gets a few final touches before shooting begins.(Phoenix/Kirk Photos)Michael Stiegelbauer (left) poses with Cliff Stiegelbauer, president and Tina Bell Production coordinator. (Phoenix/Kirk Photo)BY ROBERT COHENFlashing a roguish grin, MichaelStiegelbauer said he was sure to make akilling. He%u2019s got just the %u201cstrange but true%u201dspectacle to titillate the invading sea oftourists who want to catch a glimpse of thefamous Bridge and waterfront this summer.The problem is, he still can%u2019t decide what tocharge for his side show spectacular. Okay,how much would you be willing to pay for aglimpse of the original colony of BrooklynBridge bats netted in their natural habitatbeneath the Bridge%u2019s Brooklyn tower? Forthose who are just a bit leery of reachingdeep into their pockets to buy the bridgeitself, a view of the legendary %u201cbridge bats%u201dthrough a pair of rented binoculars has gotto be the next best thing.If Mike Stiegelbauer has gotten somewhatcarried away with the theatrics of the moment, one must understand, that%u2019s hisbusiness. Mik> is vice president ofStiegelbauer Associates, a thriving, familyrun theatrical construction firm located at29 Front Street, just below the BrooklynBridge.Gazing up from Stiegelbauer%u2019s FrontStreet workshop, one can indeed spy MikeStiegelbauer%u2019s %u201cbat net%u201d hanging from thebridge%u2019s roadbed and the upper base of thegothic tower. The net, explained one apparently knowledgeable Fulton Landingstroller is actually a safety precautionassociated with restoration work being conducted on that portion of the bridge But whois to say that bats, sleeping by day, don%u2019tflutter around the construction at night?What with the senior Stiegelbauer, Cliff,the president of the company out of the office, and ostensibly given to more soberassessm ents, Mike Stiegelbauer was notabout to dampen just such a line of speculation.Since May 1984, Stiegelbauer Associateshas been constructing and designing customscenes, sets and stages for a growingclientele of television, theatrical, corporateand trade customers.Both father and son are veterans ofNBC%u2019s scenic art and design department.Cliff, who is 69 years old, was with NBC for35 years, managing scenic services for thenetwork%u2019s East Coast operations for anumber of years. Mike, 35, headed NBC%u2019smetal shop and specialized in materialsfabrication %u2014 the alchemist%u2019s art oftransforming m aterials like styrofoam,vinyl and plastic into imitation rock, brick,masonry and other surfaces, which to theeye are indistinguishable from the realthing.GETTING THE BALL ROLLINGConsistent with their respective expertise,the elder Stiegelbauer tends to the artisticand design areas, while the younger takescare of the production and operations end ofthe business. The company is an %u201call in thefam ily%u201d operation with Mike's wife, Dawn,serving as treasurer and his brother Karlemployed as %u201croad carpenter.%u201dThe company%u2019s story begins in 1984, whenMike left his job at NBC and took out a second mortgage loan on his Malveme, LongIsland home to get the business off theground. Mike says one of the major reasonshe left NBC was boredom.%u201cMost of the action had moved to theWest Coast, leaving only the news programsand Saturday Night Live in New York,%u201d hesays. %u201cI needed a challenge, and setting upyour own business was just what the doctorordered.%u201dUpon opening their doors, the fledglingcompany had an elaborate brochure sentout to virtually every design and productionhouse in the business. The response to themailing was overwhelming, Mike recalls.Not one reply cam e in.Fortunately however, both father and sonhad cultivated a wealth of personal contactsthroughout the production industry duringtheir many years at NBC, connectionswhich proved invaluable in getting the ballrolling. Some of the freelance designersthey worked with at NBC brought a share oftheir business to Stiegelbauer.CREDITS INCLUDE ROCK TO SOAPSSaiwc ii opened, iiie company has compiled an enviable list of credits ranging fromrock videos (the Rolling Stones%u2019 %u201cHarlemShuffle%u201d), to major motion pictures (%u201cTheYear of the Dragon%u201d ) and network sitcoms(%u201cThe Bill Cosby Show%u201d ) to name a few.It also does substantial contracting workfor a number of daytime soap operas including %u201cLoving,%u201d %u201cOne Life to Live,%u201d %u201cAllMy Children,%u201d and %u201cSearch for Tomorrow.%u201dThe Brooklyn Academy of Music has tapped Stiegelbauers%u2019 services for productionsof %u201cEinstein on the Beach,%u201d %u201cSweet Saturday Night%u201d and the %u201cNew Wave Festival,%u201da dance event.midutei estim ates that the firm sbusiness breaks down into 20 percent eachfor commercials, television productions and%u201clegitim ate%u201d theater/arts, with the remaining 40 percent consisting of industrial/corporate accounts.Theme and amusement park contractscomprise a considerable chunk of thebusiness. Recently, Stiegelbauer completedconstruction of a theater at Hershey Park,Pennsylvania for Herco, (the parent company of Hershey Chocolate), one of Stiegelbauer%u2019s larger clients. Last week, Mike, hisbrother Karl and another craftsman, JamesMcCann were discussing how to repair acustom-made fiberglass 1929 Ford whichhad been damaged by a group of overexuberant dancers. Amidst wise cracks, theproblem was tackled in professional stride%u2014 another one of those unexpected situations they%u2019ve come to expect. The prop,Set carpenter Julius Shapiro stands inthe secret passageway at the workshop.(Phoenix/Kirk Photos)Godart Lee (Bella) stands in the secretpassageway. (Phoenix/Kirk Photo)they decided, had to be specially reinforced.In 1984, their first year in business,Stiegelbauer had a total of $480,000 in billings. Revenues nearly doubled during theirsecond year, climbing to $940,000. Mike expects Uie company to generate roughly $1.5million in business this year and another $2 million next year.%u201cWe%u2019ll probably level off at about $2million during succeeding years becausew e%u2019ll have reached our effective capacity,%u201dhe explains.ENLARGING THE SPACEGrowth will come, though, when Stiegelbauer moves to larger quarters. AlthoughPage 8, THE PHOENIX/BROOKLYN.INC SECTION TWO, August 14,1986