Curb Bros, a new business started by two Avon Lake teenagers, is bringing curb appeal to the community.
Oliver Eagle, 13, a Lake Ridge Academy student, and Charles Lavriha, 14, a Learwood Middle School student, started Curb Bros, a business that paints house numbers on curbs for $20.
Charles suggested the idea to a friend earlier this summer.
Oliver Eagle, left, and Charles Lavriha, 14, founded Curb Bros, which paints addresses on curbs for $20. (Clara Wicinski, The Morning Journal) “I just thought it up one day,” Charles explained. “It’s a good way to make money.”
Since starting in early August, the pair has completed 20 curbs.
They use a spreadsheet to track their jobs and say they get the majority of their business from word of mouth and neighborhood Facebook posts.
“People just text or email us their name and address, and we get to it,” Oliver told me. Charles designed and 3D printed stencils for the numbers.
The pair finishes the job with enamel spray paint. The teenagers claimed that the curb numbers serve both practical and aesthetic purposes. “It’s great for emergencies or deliveries,” Charles explained. “It makes the house easier to find.”
The longtime friends, who met in first grade, see Curb Bros. as only the beginning. Both teens said they enjoy discussing future business ventures. Oliver stated that he has ideas ranging from improved printer designs to nuclear energy, while Charles is interested in military and medical technology.
Oliver advised other young people who want to start their own businesses not to overthink the process. “It’s easy to get lost in the details,” he told me. “Start by asking your family and friends, and then they’ll tell their friends.” That’s how it gets started.” The two intend to continue painting curbs in Avon Lake throughout the fall, and possibly into the winter, depending on the weather. They said they hope to broaden their reach as they get older. “As soon as he’s old enough to drive, we’ll be able to go farther,” Oliver told me.
