Growing Business Moves to 911 South Dixie, 1924

Due to their growing reputation around town, their services were in great demand and once again George and Frank were in need of larger accommodations.  They moved the facility to 911 South Dixie Highway, where the business would remain until 1974.  In 1929, Frank Ahrens sold the original roofing and sheet metal company and established two new businesses named Roofing and Sheet Metal Supply Company (later named Ahrens Materials in 1947) and Service Iron Works.  The roofing and sheet metal company sold just about everything necessary for roofing jobs including roofing materials, tiles, galvanized sheets, angle iron, insulation, nails, etc.  Service Iron Works was basically a general machine shop and structural steel fabricator specializing in dredge equipment repair, lathe work, agricultural irrigation pumps, the design and manufacturing of structural steel and bar joists.  Service Iron Works was actually the first company in Florida to have a wiggle bender, which is required for the manufacturing of bar joists.

In 1940, Frank and an associate invented and patented the first hurricane clip, which was sold by the truck loads overseas and used to erect many of the Quonset huts during World War II.  In 1946, Frank helped develop and patent the B & A Masonry Drill, which was the first carbon-tipped masonry drill in the world.  Although Frank sold his interest in this company in 1956, the company is still in existence.