MICK JEFFRIES
Kentucky Top Props founders Michael Tyree and Ben Re outside the Break Room bar.
A chance encounter led Ben Re and Michael Tyree to launch a business supporting the film industry.
Re and Tyree are the owners of Kentucky Top Props, a company that provides locally based film and television projects with cars, motorcycles, and other props needed to create authentic-looking productions.
Started in 2024, the idea for the business came to Re when he overheard a conversation at a bar.
“I was sitting at the Break Room in the Distillery District, and a production manager was at that bar talking to the owner about trying to rent the bar for a week,” Re said. “I overheard them talking about needing cars and motorcycles, so I emailed the production manager and said, ‘I own a car shop and motorcycle shop here in town. If you need cars and motorcycles, you can call me, and I'll get you what you need.’”
His direct approach worked. Re supplied vehicles for a TV pilot called The Revengers and quickly realized he had the foundation for a business. He brought the idea to his friend Tyree.
“I said, ‘We need to do this together,’” Re said.
Since launching, Kentucky Top Props has provided vehicles and props for multiple films, a TV pilot, and several music videos. With a combined inventory of nearly 20 cars and motorcycles, they specialize in ensuring productions have era-accurate vehicles.
“If someone approaches us with an idea—whether it's a movie or a music video—and they say, ‘I'm looking to do something like this,’ we focus on finding vehicles that are era-specific,” Tyree said. “We've provided some stock-looking motorcycles and some choppers. We've provided vehicles from the mid-to-late '60s all the way up into the early 2000s. We want everything to look as accurate to the time as possible.”
If they don’t have a requested item, their extensive connections within Lexington’s car and motorcycle community allow them to track it down.
“We know just about anyone in town with a cool car or motorcycle,” Re said. “If we need something, we just pick up the phone and say, ‘Hey, want to make some money?’”
Kentucky Top Props handles vehicle sourcing, negotiates with owners, and transports vehicles to and from sets. In return, the vehicle owner is paid for its use, and Top Props keeps a small commission.
And it’s not just cars they provide. With a warehouse in downtown Lexington, they have a wide selection of items film production crews may find useful, Re said.
“We're both collectors of intricacies, if you will, so we've got vintage glass, crystal, light fixtures, a fountain, flower urns, old cell phones, computers, lamps, pirate chests—pretty much if you name it, we either have it or can find it,” he said.
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MICK JEFFRIES
From vintage equipment to pinball machines and more, Kentucky Top Props aims to offer authentic, period-correct props for productions shooting in the area.
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MICK JEFFRIES
From vintage equipment to pinball machines and more, Kentucky Top Props aims to offer authentic, period-correct props for productions shooting in the area.
Their industrial backgrounds—Tyree as a pipefitter and Re as a former mechanic—also play a role.
“If someone wants something that we don’t have, we can make it for them,” Re said.
And if they can’t, their network of skilled artisans, from blacksmiths to metal fabricators, ensures they can source it.
So far, startup costs and business setup have posed few challenges. Kentucky Top Props is registered with the Kentucky Film Commission and film commissions in Lexington and Louisville, helping them gain industry recognition and word-of-mouth recommendations.
However, adapting to film and television production timelines has been an adjustment. In some cases, production needs can change overnight, causing them to have to re-source cars and other props on the fly.
“That’s really been our biggest struggle,” Re said. “Other than that, it’s going smoothly. We've had a good time and met a bunch of good people, and that’s what we want to continue to do.”
Beyond the film industry, the duo envisions expanding into weddings, events, and other productions needing specialized props.
“We want to be one of the biggest picture car and props companies around,” Re said. “Most of the specialty movie suppliers only do cars, and the motorcycle suppliers might only do motorcycles. We’re doing everything.”