Bikes, Camera, Action

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A chance encounter led Ben Re and Michael Tyree to launch a new venture that’s starting to gain traction in the film industry.

Longtime friends turned business partners, Re and Tyree are the owners of Kentucky Top Props, a company that leases cars, motorcycles, musical instruments and other props to films, television productions, music videos and other productions filming throughout the state. 

While the props  most often tend to be vehicular, Tyree emphasizes that their offerings are by no means limited.

“You want a picnic table? We will get you one,” he said.

Started in 2024, the idea for the business came when Re overheard a conversation at the Distillery District bar Break Room.

“A production manager was at the bar, talking to the owner about trying to rent the bar for a week,” Re said. He also overheard the production talking about needing cars and motorcycles, so he emailed him and to let him know that he owned a car shop and motorcycle shop in town and could get them what they needed.

Re's direct approach worked. After supplying vehicles for a TV pilot called “The Revengers,” he quickly realized he had the foundation for a business. He brought the idea to Tyree, with whom he had bonded about eight years ago over a shared love of automobiles.

“I said, ‘We need to do this together,’” Re said.

Hailing from Lexington, Tyree was raised on a farm near the scenic Kentucky River. He attended Henry Clay High School before embarking on a musical journey that saw him join a band and tour across various locations. After some time in Nashville, he made a practical pivot to move back home and become a plumber. This path, while certainly distinct from the work that Top Props specializes in, laid the groundwork for robust problem-solving skills that would later serve him in this business.

Re’s path was quite different. From a suburb outside of Chicago, he came to Lexington to pursue mechanical engineering at the University of Kentucky. After graduating, he realized that the corporate grind wasn’t for him. Instead, he channeled his passion for mechanics and vehicles into starting the Renaissance Garage, located at 714 W. Third St. All the work he’s done in the car shop, from cars to motorcycles and boats, has allowed him to blend his mechanical expertise with entrepreneurial spirit.

Since launching, Kentucky Top Props has provided vehicles and props for multiple films, a TV pilot, and several music videos. They recently collaborated with outside production companies, contributing vehicles, props, and expertise to the project “Carolina Caroline,” an upcoming romantic crime thriller set in the 1980s or early 1990s. Shot across various locations in Kentucky, from Frankfort to Louisville, the film spanned five weeks. They accompanied the crew on set to ensure seamless vehicle operation.

With a combined inventory of nearly 20 cars and motorcycles, they specialize in ensuring productions have era-accurate vehicles, but also also offer furniture, musical equipment, and even household appliances for use in films. Their versatile inventory helps filmmakers accomplish their visions without spending time scrambling for props.

“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.

They also stock a wide selection of items that film production crews may find useful, in a warehouse near downtown.

“We're both collectors of intricacies, if you will,” Re said, “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.”

Their industrial backgrounds — Tyree as a pipefitter and Re as a 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.

They admit that 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.”  

More information and a full inventory of products can be found at www.kentuckytopprops.com.