The windows of Red Mill Monograms looks like they are filled with white lace, until one takes a closer look. The loops and swirls of the white designs that fill the windows of Rehoboth’s newest store are actually large durable cutout wall hangings made from large sheets of PVC.

“They are 100-percent weatherproof, they won’t rot,” said Greg Troup, inventor of the PVC monograms. Plus, he added, they are customizable, paintable, and stainable and they can be ready in under three minutes.

Yes, Red Mill Monograms is the personalized T-shirt shop of wall art. But faster, said Troup.

Troup was an engineer, who worked as a plant manager in an injection molding plastics facility and as supervisor at a precision CNC (Computer Numerical Controlled) shop.

In his spare time, he cut out wooden name plaques for people. He wished for an easier, more durable substance to use when it suddenly hit him one night — PVC. He said he literally woke up from a dream at 2 a.m. with the idea in his head.

From there, he began putting it all together. He built his own computerized saw with a vacuum attached, and started creating wall plaque designs. He currently has more than 250 customizable designs that include items like palm trees, mermaids, flip flops, military and college symbols, starfish and jeeps.

If the stock designs aren’t enough, he’ll work with a customer to create something custom, like he did for the owner of the “Go Fish!” restaurant in town.

Alison Blyth came into Troup’s shop to buy a wall hanging for a friend, then the city told her she had to remove her menu sandwich board from the sidewalk in front of her shop. She told Troup of her dilemma and together they designed a menu holder with a British fish and chips design on the front, that she can hang on the outside wall of her building.

“Down by the ocean things really disintegrate. It’s really good these will hold up,” said Blyth. She already has plans for other projects she wants Troup to take on, a cup holder for her sail boat and another sign for a friend.

“For the money, it’s going to be everlasting,” said Blyth, who painted the holder to make it more visible. “His designs are good and he turned it around in under two hours.”

The money, as Blyth said, isn’t a lot. Troup made the decision when he started the company to stick to three basic sizes in inches: 16 by 16, 32 by 32, and 48 by 48. The smallest, most frequently bought size, is $35. The next size is $140 and the largest is $315.

“And I don’t even have to get out of my seat,” he said.

The cutting board in the back room of the store is run by a remote control and a computer program. As soon as someone agrees on a design, he clicks a button that turns on the vacuum dust collector and the process starts.

It sounds vaguely like a blender running in the back. Literally, one of the smaller signs can be completed and to the customer while Troup explains the process and properties of the product, less than three minutes.

“We never appear busy because we are that fast,” he said.

“I have ordered several items, two camping signs and two (Penn State University) signs and all my recipients loved them,” said Darnell Ort, of York, Pennsylvania, who also commented on the great customer service.

Troup is not a high pressure sales person, but he is known to crack a joke or make a humorous comment to browsers.

“I tell everyone that we are ‘Chick-fil-A’ nice, but a lot more funny,” said Troup.

There is nothing else quite like these wall hangings at the beach, which is one of the reasons the new shop exists.

Until now, the Troups mostly sold their wares at trade and craft shows and online. They had their main location at their home near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and another in the Chicago area that a family member ran. 

Then his Chicago division started looking to moving to the East Coast. One thing led to another and the decision was made to try Rehoboth.

The foot traffic potential looked fabulous at the Rehoboth Avenue location, their online shop was making enough to cover the rent at the resort, and Troup’s wife worked at a Pennsylvania hospital. They figured their risk factor was not too high to give the beach a try.

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So far, business is pretty good. Even on a cloudy slow day in June, the store had a steady stream of browsers, who wanted to ask questions and to touch the designs.

Troup encourages both. People can’t believe the product is so durable and so light unless they actually hold it, he said.

“We’re here to be part of the community,” he said.

In fact, his biggest problem right now is being able to get out into that community. He’s hoping to be able to hire some more help in the near future, so he can take a day off.