 |
This article or section needs to be wikified to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please help improve this article with relevant internal links. (November 2007) |
Skulls Unlimited International, Inc.
History
Skulls Unlimited International, Inc. was established in June 1986, by owner, Jay Villemarette. Jay began collecting skulls and bones as a child. When he was only seven years old, Jay found a dog skull in the woods near his home. His facination with the skull, along with encouragment from his father, lead Jay to begin collecting other skulls. After graduating high school, Jay collected and sold skulls in his spare time while working as an auto body technician. As sales grew, Jay and his wife Kim, began to clean skulls in their kitchen. In the summer of 1986, Jay found himself out of work after being laid off from his autobody job. Jay wondered if he could possibly support his family by selling skulls. By the spring of 1987 Jay was selling enough skulls to purchase a portable building and move his growing business out of his kitchen. In the fall of 1989 Skulls Unlimited had grown enough to open it's first storefront location at 7919 South Shields Blvd., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
 Skulls Unlimited c. 1992 |
 Skulls Unlimited Today |
 The Skulls Unlimited Staff c. 2006 |
 Skulls Unlimited's Showroom |
In 1992 Jay was able to employee his first full time employees and established Skulls Unlimited as Skulls Unlimited International, Inc. Skulls Unlimited remained at their South Shields address until June of 2000, when their success forced them to expand into a custom built facility. This 4000 square foot building located at 10313 South Sunnylane in Oklahoma City, was equipped with all the latest modern equipment. Shortly after this expansion Skulls Unlimited again experience growing pains and with Jay's dream of one day opening a museum they decided it was time to expand once again.
In the summer of 2004, Skulls Unlimited started construction on a new 12000 square building that would house Skulls Unlimited's corporate offices and The Museum of Osteology. This museum will be open to the public in 2008 and will feature thousands of skull and skeletal specimens, focusing on the form and function of the skeletal system. The museum will serve as an educational experience, with the hopes that through education, an appreciation of the natural world will ultimately lead to conservation for the future.
The unusual work and services performed by Skulls Unlimited International have lead them to being featured in many articles and on numerous television programs including Ripley's Believe it or Not, MSNBC, and The Discovery Channel's Dirty Jobs.
 Mike Rowe at Skulls Unlimited |
 Skulls Unlimited owner, Jay Villemarette and Director of Education, Joey Williams with The MythBusters, Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman. |
 Thomas Pendelton of A+E's Inked, at Skulls Unlimited with Jay Villemarette and Joey Williams, 2007. |
 Construction of Skulls Unlimited's Museum of Osteology. |
 Skeletons for the Museum of Osteology in Storage. |
 African Lion Attacking Eland Antelope Sketon Diorama. |
 Gray Whale Skeleton, Articulated by Skulls Unlimited for the Makah Tribe of Washington State. |
 White Rhinoceros Skeleton at Skulls Unlimited's Museum of Osteology. |
References
1. Outside Magazine, July 2006, "I'm Going to Rib-cage Wolrd" by Brian Urstadt.
2. The Chicago Tribune, October, 25th, 2006, "In bone business, skulls rate head and shoulders above skeletons" by Robert K. Elder.
3. Oklahoma Gazette, October, 25th, 2006, "Bone Collector" by Greg Horton.
4. MSNBC, October 30th, 2006, "Where ‘How Greasy a Human is’ is Part of the Job" by Associated Press.
5. Entrepreneur.com, February, 2007, "Want to be disgustingly happy? Start a disgusting business." by Geoff Williams.
6. Reuter's Life, April 2, 2007, "Life as a skull cleaner is a messy job" by Reuter's Life staff writer.
7. MillionaireBlueprints.com, May/June, 2007, Peculiar Professions; "Bone Cleaner"by Millionaire Blueprints staff writer.
8. MyBusinessMag.com, October/November 2007, Uncommon Enterprise; "Bare-Bones Operation" by Sandy Siegel.
Categories
- List of Oklahoma City Business
- List of Oklahoma Companies
