(FORTUNE Magazine) – In the mid-1980S, I became very concerned about the Cold War threat. I had a background in metal fabricating, and I started the company in 1997 with a friend who had a physics background. We had already acquired the equipment because we had built several shelters for ourselves. Our ventilation systems come from a Swiss company called Andair. The Swiss have the most highly developed shelters in the world, and they have enough shelter space for every citizen.

We've sold a couple hundred shelters so far. Lawyers, physicians, pharmacists, and a cab driver have bought them. They're mostly ordinary people. An 8-by 20-foot shelter starts at about $13,000. You can personalize them: We have bunks, kitchens, and under-floor storage for food and clothes. In the morning I work on the shelters, and in the afternoon I go to my aerospace job, where we make guidance systems for tactical missiles. I actually don't worry a lot about the nuclear threat these days. I take the appropriate measures and move on with my life. --Interview by Julie Schlosser