How He Got Started
While it might sound like a risky “pie-in-the-sky” venture, you should know that Castanos is a seasoned businessman. He started his first business, a DJ company, at 15. After high school, Castanos went straight into the Army and spent his formative years in Japan and the Middle East working in supply team management. His understanding about how to increase productivity, communication and marketing was priceless. It even landed him steady work as a defense contractor for big companies like Halliburton and Honeywell. All the while Castanos kept his hustle on, working as a mobile DJ while in the Army and starting an employment services firm. After finishing his military service Castanos stayed abroad and started his own logistics company in Qatar with a cousin.
Exposed to the technology while abroad, the self-professed techie daydreamed about setting up his next venture in a place he’s proud to call home. “I wanted to come back now when the technology was new enough to embed in the community,” Castanos said. It’s the reason why 3D Heights has donated printers to his old elementary school, is working with teachers to develop a curriculum and started an after school program with the local Police Athletic League. “If we’re the first adapters we become the standard and people come to us.”
Although his store, which opened in December of 2013, is a “one-stop shop” for all things 3-D printing, from scanners to software and classes, Castanos says his employees are its greatest asset. “The most important resource is us,” he says. “That’s why we have a physical store. You can’t talk about 3-D printing through the Internet and get the same experience as you would seeing/feeling/touching an object. We show them the capabilities.”