Parade Float Business

Parade Float Business 33-6-10 Matt Millburg, Witt., Ill., has an unusual specialty business called "Floats 'N More". Millburg provides parade floats for homecomings and fairs in cities and towns up to 100 miles away in all directions. This is his ninth year operating the business. Of course, it's a seasonal business. Matt also owns and operates 70 acres that's mostly devoted to grass fed beef. He's the third owner of the float business, and it all began 39 years ago when the idea was originated by some ladies in Greenville, Ill. After Millburg took over the business he came up with several techniques to "knock down" and transport floats on highways. He uses 4-wheel wagon gears and flatbeds to haul the floats. He's able to compact everything to where he can pull the floats at speeds up to 45 mph on the highway. "About half my floats are æstock' floats that I rent out each year," says Millburg, who has ten 14 to 16-ft. floats, as well as a half dozen 28-ft. floats. "At least half the floats have a patriotic theme, because no matter what the parade is people want a patriotic float in it. The other float themes vary from year to year and from place to place. Popular float themes include fairy tales, cowboys and Indians, pumpkins and gardening. I'm willing to customize a float although that gets pretty expensive so most people prefer to go with something that's already made. "I charge $500 on up per float. That may sound expensive but it's not if you figure the cost to make a float and the cost for storage. "I don't pull floats in parades but instead rent them to people who provide their own pulling vehicles." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Matt Millburg, Floats 'N More, P. O. Box 202, Witt, Ill. 62094 (ph 217 972-3965).

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