Who knew? Who knew a Plant City business has appeared on Discovery Channel’s Diesel Brothers and Car Masters: Rust to Riches on Netflix? Who knew a Plant City company creates bodies for Monster Jam trucks, has worked with Richard Petty, and is developing a better aerodynamic body for the fastest stick shift car in the world?
In a nondescript building in a nondescript location, Starr Creations has been rocking fiberglass fabrication for 10 years. “We create things from nothing,” said co-owner Aaron Starr. “We create the 3-D body monster trucks that you see in Monster Jam, and also for some independent drivers.”
Why is Starr Creations in Plant City? Brothers Aaron and Jesse Starr were born and raised here. They both graduated from Plant City High School—Jesse in 1996 and Aaron in 1999.
Starr Creations began when Aaron’s longtime friend and owner of U.S. body in Lakeland, Eric Long, made a deal with Monster Jam to build a truck body. “He needed somebody to carve the truck. I’m an artist and sculptor, so he called me up and asked if I would carve it. I didn’t think it was going to actually happen, but it did.” That first truck is named El Diablo. Aaron hand carved the body out of Styrofoam in 2013, and the company snowballed from there.
U.S. Body in Lakeland is another arm of the company. It is one of the largest fiberglass car parts suppliers in the country—everything from full bodies to hoods, and other fiberglass components that are hard to find. U.S. Body handles the science of production, while Starr Creative supplies the art.
“It’s based on computer models,” Aaron adds. “My brother, Jesse Starr, does all of our computer design. “He works hand-in-hand with Monster Jam, independent drivers, and other customers to develop the 3-D models.”
“Sometimes I forget how awesome all this is,” Jesse said. “We get to design and build wild creations that people see all around the world.”
Starr Creations initially designs a body out of Styrofoam, then produces a mold which it uses to make a fiberglass body. The tools of Starr Creations are automated CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machines, 3-dimensional (3-D) printers 3-D scanners, plastic vacuum forming tables, and a woodshop. “I like to say we just make stuff look good,” Aaron said. “It’s almost like an art. Monster truck chassis all look pretty much the same. Take a body off a monster truck, it’s just a boxy chassis. So, the bodies are the way we differentiate those trucks. We make them a character. My brother makes them what they are and we create the bodies. It’s a group effort.”
Most of the monster trucks Starr Creations has built bodies for are turned into toys by Spin Master and sold in U.S stores like Walmart and other retailers worldwide. Starr Creations also sponsors monster trucks and drivers, and as a reflection of that, some of the toys display the company logo on the hood. Among these sponsorships is one with Dennis Anderson. “….an absolute legend in the industry,” Aaron opined. “He created Grave Digger.” For 40 years, Grave Digger has been one of the most famous monster trucks.
Starr Creations just finished its 30th monster truck. In addition to the initial body, the company will continue to use the molds it produces to manufacture additional parts depending on how popular the truck is and for how long.
Starr Creations also focuses on automotive one-offs, like for the performance racing industry show. “We help in designing and building components for bodies all the way down to something like a special bumper,” Aaron said.
Famous YouTuber in Bradenton, Cleetus McFarland, currently has the fastest stick shift car in the world. “The aerodynamics are killing it,” Aaron said. So, MacFarland hired Starr Creations to design a body frame with improved aerodynamics.
When asked what about his work gives him satisfaction, Aaron responded, “I’m an artist. I get to create different things every day. It’s always different and never boring. And it is gratifying to see our work on a big stage like Monster Jam.”
Though the main business of Starr Creations is fabricating bodies for the automotive industry, they will make anything out of fiberglass. The company also takes on miscellaneous customers that need composite parts like door panels, boat parts, water tanks for the lawn spraying industry, roofs for campers, and parade floats. “We’re working with a guy in Florida who is on HGTV,” said Aaron. “He makes massive lawn sculptures that look like plants and other things. We’re helping him with his sculptures. We will build anything—that’s our deal. We’re not afraid to build different stuff.”
Starr Creations has a long portfolio of finished products under its belt, “Now we’re just shooting for the moon and keeping it going,” Aaron concluded.