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I smell a giant (inflatable) rat!

A small (non-union) firm crafts giant balloons of rats, greedy pigs, and more for parades and picket lines.

An employee sews loops on an inflatable.
The Scherba brothers were recently inducted into - we're not making this up - the Inflatable Advertising Dealers Association Hall of Fame. "They can create just about anything you can imagine," says association president Gary Paplauskas.

Back at his Ohio warehouse, David Scherba stares up at three giant creations - the elephant, a rainbow lionfish, and an inflatable Paul Bunyan - with an expression of quiet joy. "A 3-D inflatable just brings a smile to your face," Scherba says, grinning. "I'm not sure why they're so fun, but they are."

To give feedback or tell us about a picturesque business that you know, please write to fsb_mail@timeinc.com.


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