His Success Fits Him To A 'T'

Kim Rowe sees the world differently than you.

He works at a convenience store for fun.

He designs T-shirts with sayings such as: "I Started Out With Nothing and Have Most of It Left" and "Hard Work Never Killed Anyone, But Why Give It a Chance."

Twice divorced, the 54-year-old is available. However, he is a self-described "old, fat man" and doesn't understand why "women are into guys who smell like a burnt cigarette."

Besides a few churches and the convenience store where Rowe stocks shelves part-time, there isn't much in this enclave in rural northeast Pasco, once a booming railroad community. The unemployment rate is higher than the Withlacoochee River after a frog-strangling rain.

Here, Rowe and his inflatable-toy-covered compound at Trilby Road and U.S. 98 - home to an 18-hole putt-putt course and a dormant 1-acre paintball field - pass for pillars of this humble hamlet.

Richard Riley, a longtime member of the Greater Trilby Community Association, calls the Harrisburg, Pa., native "one of our community's success stories."

"We're very fortunate to have him as a member of the Trilby association and contributor because he does all our signs," Riley said. "We repay him when we can, and that's not often enough. He really does an awful lot for us - more than he should.

"Sometimes, he appears to be gruff, but he would give you the monogrammed shirt off his back to help you out, or loan you five bucks or a lawn mower."

Rowe has done many things here since buying the building where he lives and runs his business. When he bought it in 1991, the building was a florist shop. Rowe, who'd spent years in the microfilm industry, was into gardening, so he took over the store.

Since then, he's run a laser-tag arena, paintball field, paintball supply and repair shop and game room on the property. While Kim's Play-A-Round still bustles with putt-putt players some weekends, Rowe mostly makes his living selling T-shirts, hats, signs, banners, coffee mugs, mouse pads and other items online.

He embroiders and prints everything on site, and is particular about his materials. For instance, he stocks only Gildan brand T-shirts.

"I could still use Jerzees," he said. "They're close in quality, but some people are very picky about that."

Nearby, an embroidery machine stitched a design on a baseball cap.

Lights twinkled on a pair of space-age-looking computers.

Atop a mound of finished orders was a T-shirt bearing jazz legend John Coltrane's image.

Rowe once had his "paintball pro shop" near where the pile of merchandise now sits.

"I had to go with the flow to stay in business," he said.

TO LEARN MORE

For information on the Internet, go to:

www.weprintiton.com www.print-it-on.com www.pascoinflatables.com

www.kimsplay-a-round.com