About Us

Archer Study Model Laboratory was started in the basement of this rental home on the far South side of Chicago in November of 1999. I made a commitment to serve only high end orthodontic practitioners.

My budget was so limited at the time that there was  no money for building out the space with proper walls. The cold Chicago winter necessitated some sort of enclosure to hold the heat in, so 4′ x 8′ white styrofoam insulation panels were duct taped together to seal off the working area.

This crude but effective solution earned Archer the internal nickname “Styro-lab”. These were my humble beginnings, but great things were about to happen.

I began by serving only local accounts with pick up and delivery service for the first few years. In 2004 I tested a mail order business model with my local accounts because of a desire to be location independent. After a year and a half of successful mail order service, the decision was made to discontinue the pick up and delivery service permanently. I were now free to locate the business wherever there was a post office, so I moved west to be closer to family.

With the ability to serve clients nationwide, my growth accelerated. Faced with more business than I could handle, I had come to a turning point. I could either continue to produce the highest quality models in the industry which limited my ability to grow, or I could hire employees, give up a lot of my freedom, and continue my growth trajectory.

I decided I liked my freedom, especially the “portability” of my business. Being strictly mail order and without employees I can move wherever and whenever I want and take my business with me. I just send mailing labels with my new address to my clients. Done. How cool is that?

In order to preserve my freedom, Archer Study Model Laboratory now has a cap on the number of clients that I am able to serve at any given time. Periodically I will have an opening, typically when one of my clients retires or decides to produce their own models using my training system (more on that below), and I will take on a new client, but for the most part I maintain a waiting list.

With demand outstripping supply I developed my Modelworks Training System in order to teach my high end study model fabrication techniques as well as my laboratory business management skills to aspiring home based business owners and in-house dental laboratory technicians across the country.

Archer Associate Laboratories. By completing the Modelworks Training System, independent laboratories are eligible to participate in our associate program. Archer Associate Laboratories are a great alternative to spending months on my waiting list. My Modelworks trained affiliate labs will give you the same “rock star” service that I provide here at the original Archer Study Model Laboratory.