Hundreds of miniature ancient soldiers line the shelves, with crouching archers drawing bows and others carrying shields in historic scenes from centuries ago. The market for these new releases is always in demand as employees pack and ship boxes to collectors around the world.
The Sierra Toy Soldier Company is one of more than 100 niche industrial and craft businesses that call this tucked-away industrial area of Campbell home. Between Dell Avenue and McGlincy Lane, residents can find an unconventional array of businesses from race car parts to historic wedding dress and gown restoration to metal welding. Campbell’s unique corridor is a hidden gem amid suburban sprawl, where local businesses find fairly affordable rents and the city reaps significant sales tax revenue. The two streets, separated by Highway 17, constitute one of the few areas in the West Valley zoned for industrial use.
City Manager Brian Loventhal said the area’s sales tax revenue is considerable.
“Campbell is actually home to small municipal businesses,” he told San José Spotlight. “We don’t have a lot of large land, so some of the smaller plots are for family businesses and small businesses. It’s an interesting mix.
@sanjosespotlight Between Dell Avenue and McGlincy Lane, residents can find an unconventional range of businesses from race car parts to historic wedding dress and gown restoration to metal welding. Campbell’s unique corridor is a hidden gem amid suburban sprawl, where local businesses find fairly affordable rents and the city reaps significant sales tax revenue. The two streets, separated by Highway 17, constitute one of the few areas in the West Valley zoned for industrial use. Learn more about the unique business district at SanJoseSpotlight.com. #campbell #siliconvallée #bayarea #smallbusiness #westvalley
Campbell’s three years economic development planadopted last April, aims to address three areas of economic growth: filling vacancies, preserving the commercial sector and creating a vibrant downtown. The plan’s focus on the commercial sector is a boost for Sierra Toy Soldier Company owners Michael and Myszka Hall.
The couple was able to maintain a warehouse for global shipping on Dell Avenue after being locked out of their Los Gatos storefront in 2019.
The company started at home in 2003 after Michael Hall realized he could turn his hobby into a business and leave the high-tech industry. The company is successful because it is one of the few on the West Coast. Les Halls now has three employees.
“What makes it special is because it’s crazy. Who else does this? he told San José Spotlight. “It’s very special, very specialized and there aren’t many people as crazy as us yet.”
On the highway on East McGlincy Lane, Brian Preetz, owner of Barrel Dreams, sells his wares in a small warehouse covered with sawdust. It sells more than 100 different products made from rustic Cabernet-tinted wine barrels, including dog beds, coffee tables and Christmas trees.
Barrel Dreams began about 18 years ago when Preetz met a man selling barrels of wine on the side of a road in Los Gatos. He left his job in corporate IT to sell his custom-designed kegs – and has since amassed six employees. His barrels were featured in the movie “Throwin’ Down” music video from the group Anchored, with Snoop Dogg.
Preetz said the trade corridor along McGlincy is unique because it is designed to accommodate 53-foot tractor-trailers for its 220-barrel shipments weighing about 20,000 pounds.
“(Customers) give me a hug. They say, ‘Brian, thank you,'” Preetz told San José Spotlight. “I can say it’s so pure and real and I love it. So my goal is to get as many cuddles as possible.
This off-the-beaten-path location was once known for its countless fruit orchard and cannery ranches. He even has a sordid past dating back to the 1896 murders that led to the death of Colonel Richard McGlincy – whose namesake is McGlincy Lane. Industrial entrepreneurs traded the fruit trade for specialized goods and services, including dozens of auto service shops such as CG Automotive & Marine.
The repair shop services cars from the 60s and 70s near McGlincy on Cristich Lane and has been there for years. Inside the garage, sky blue classic cars are parked next to rows of shiny motorcycles.
Kevin Puma, who has worked in the workshop for around 10 years, fell in love with cars when he was 15 years old. It started with repairing a 1974 Chevrolet pickup truck to get his learner’s permit. The shop is a two man business, Puma and the owner restoring older cars. Puma favorites include a few classic Corvettes.
Puma said the Dell and McGlincy area is a special place.
“It’s a pretty cool little street in the town of Campbell. If you don’t know this area, you’re like, “Wait, what?” “, he told San José Spotlight. “It’s like a very small industrial area in such a small town. Most people just walk past and don’t even know it’s here.
The Sierra Toy Soldier Company, tucked away in the back of an office complex, is easy to miss.
But for those in the know, the region’s quirky products create community. Myszka Hall said the store sometimes welcomes people in their 80s and 90s who grew up playing with metal toy soldiers in red coats, standing proud in front of the windows.
“It’s just fascinating. It’s not like selling toothpaste or something like that,” she told San José Spotlight. “People have stories behind their collections – behind the history of it, behind a book that they read – so that’s a really fun part, it’s meeting people, interesting people.”