When Chris Modesitt, a seasoned telecommunications executive, left his 25-year career behind, the road ahead was uncertain. He had helped grow a small Utah startup into a $100 million company, and he knew how to scale operations. His team had installed fiber across most of Utah. But could that expertise translate to a completely different industry—one driven not only by technology, but also creativity, a love of miniatures, and a business mindset?
As it turned out, the answer is a resounding yes.
The telecommunications company had given Chris equity, as an early hire. After its sale, he faced a non-compete clause that required him to leave his industry for three years. He could have stayed on in a leadership role - however, he realized that when one company buys another, a lot of positions are cut, and many of the colleagues he had hired and mentored over his time there would likely be let go. Valuing those relationships more than a title, he chose to step away from the company, and commit to a new and uncertain future.
The field of 3D printing intrigued him for its mix of technical complexity and creative potential. He started a business-to-business 3D printing farm, at first offering 3D print services to anyone who wanted them, and made a few discoveries along the way.
The first lesson was that running a 3D print farm is a lot of hard work, and it’s a very competitive, price-driven market. He was working with his son, and they were finding that in terms of pricing for services, it could be a race to the bottom.
And an even bigger aspect is that even today there is a knowledge gap. Prospective clients often still don't know what is appropriate to 3D printing or not. Chris had to turn clients down who hadn’t considered things like whether an FDM printed pool bracket was really the right option, for a pool cover that could have a child jumping on it…
But his business soon evolved into something entirely unexpected: a thriving consumer product company known for its charming 3D-printed dragon figurines.
Fantasy Pets’ dragons first gained attention on Etsy, where they quickly became a hit. With over 5,000 five-star reviews, sales of $6,000–$7,000 per month, and a devoted fan base, the business showed promise.
Chris loves Etsy, and he says it’s amazing for people who are passionate about what they’re doing, and want to reap the reward of somebody covering the costs of filament. However, it is an enormous amount of work, and he has transitioned from it being their main revenue stream, to where now 95% of their sales are through their own website.
His brother, Ben Modesitt, was instrumental in making the change. Ben has a degree in sales and marketing, as well as years of experience, and convinced Chris there was even more potential if they could scale beyond individual sales to brick-and-mortar retailers.
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The move into wholesale wasn’t easy. Early on, the team learned hard lessons about consignment selling: while it is easy to place products in local gift stores or even gas stations, making a go of it is another matter. Without a stake in the game, store owners have little incentive to push sales, leaving Fantasy Pets to shoulder all the risk.
They knew there had to be a better way. Determined to find it, the team began working with some big and unique gift stores. The feedback they got led them to realize they needed to find sales agencies that could showcase their products to a larger audience. They started attending conventions, and networking with agents helped them break into bigger markets. Soon, their dragons were flying off the shelves of Utah’s most popular gift stores.
But this success came with new challenges. Scaling up meant producing at volumes far beyond what the company had initially envisioned. Running over 100 printers, sometimes 24/7, is no small feat. As Chris says, it’s really hard to find good people who will work at night. Managing that many machines, employees, and orders required not only technical solutions but also a streamlined workflow.
Enter 3DPrinterOS. For Fantasy Pets, the software was a turning point. It allowed the team to manage their growing fleet of 116 printers from a single interface. Chris says that without a doubt, it would have required two or three times as many employees without this automation. With 3DPrinterOS, they could upload designs to a centralized repository, send jobs to multiple printers simultaneously, and monitor progress in real-time. He loves the ability to print to multiple printers at once; they’ll often send a 3D print job to 10 3D printers at a time.
Chris is enthusiastic in his appreciation of 3DPrinterOS. About the software, he says, “I love it a lot. The product’s been well worth what we pay for it every month; we don’t buy printers that you guys haven’t done an integration with.”
He says that by using 3DPrinterOS, Fantasy Pets has gotten through the big technical hurdles, and can now just focus on all the business-related issues. He points out that there is real value in having somebody who’s really good at it that’s already taken on all the technical load, and has dealt with all the problems. He says it enables him to move quickly with the market.
“We needed a solution where one or two skilled people could manage everything,” he explained. “3DPrinterOS worked right out of the box.”
The team also appreciated how customizable the platform was. When their network of 802.11n Wi-Fi devices began to strain under the load, Chris tapped into his background in networking to optimize traffic and prioritize printer control signals. The result? A seamless operation that could scale even further, with plans to add up to 200 printers.
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Beyond the technical hurdles, Fantasy Pets refined their business strategy to focus on long-term sustainability. Unlike many 3D printing farms that operate as job shops—producing whatever customers request—Fantasy Pets positioned itself as a product-based business. By licensing designs from artists and offering a range of figurines tailored to different audiences, they created a scalable, repeatable model.
The company’s commitment to supporting artists was integral to their ethos. They only use models with commercial licenses and often work with creators on platforms like Patreon and MyMiniFactory. This not only ensures compliance but also develops strong relationships within the creative community.
As they scaled, Fantasy Pets also grappled with procurement challenges. Their massive filament consumption—enough to impact pricing on Amazon, when they place a large order—led them to source directly from China and spread demand across multiple suppliers to avoid bottlenecks.
Chris was surprised to discover that people who are truly passionate about 3D printing may not always be the right fit for a production environment. Some of the enthusiasts he has met focus on achieving the absolute best print quality possible, often tweaking settings to perfection. While Fantasy Pets prides itself on producing high-quality prints, they focus on efficiency and reliability, striking the right balance between quality and throughput. “There’s a point of diminishing returns,” Chris explained. “The product needs to look great and meet expectations, but our customers aren’t inspecting overhangs or layer lines—they just want something they love.” For hobbyists, the journey of perfecting a single print may be the reward, but for Fantasy Pets, the goal is consistent, scalable production that keeps their customers and retail partners supplied.
This focus on simplicity and ease of use is another reason the team appreciates 3DPrinterOS. The software’s intuitive design is originally built to support educational settings from university to grade 3. This means it is easy enough for an 8-year-old to click “print” while still offering the advanced tools engineers need to fine-tune their workflow. “It’s clear you guys nailed the education segment,” he said. “An engineer can dive into all the settings, but an operator can get up and running after one quick lesson.” For Fantasy Pets, this simplicity has been key to training new team members and keeping production humming along 24/7.
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One of the most surprising lessons for Chris is just how critical a role sales and marketing play. Coming from a technical background, he at first underestimated their importance. His brother provided the missing piece of the puzzle. Together, they allocate a significant portion of revenue—around 40%—to marketing efforts.
This investment paid off. Fantasy Pets transitioned from Etsy to selling almost exclusively through their website, www.fantasypets.net. They prioritize fast shipping, self-limiting their growth to ensure they can deliver within two to three weeks. “You can’t leave customers waiting,” Chris notes. “If they don’t see your product on the shelf, they’ll fill that space with something else.”
There is no doubt that 3D printing has its challenges. But Chris believes 3D printing also has unique advantages that make it particularly well-suited to American manufacturing. For one, shipping finished goods—often 80% air—can be prohibitively expensive to import, giving domestic producers a cost advantage. Additionally, America’s relatively low energy costs make 3D printing competitive, even against regions with cheaper labor.
Flexibility is another major benefit. With 3DPrinterOS, Fantasy Pets can adapt to market trends almost instantly, introducing new designs and scaling production without the need for retooling.
Looking back, Chris attributes a lot of their ability to scale, to overcoming the technical barriers early on, thanks to 3DPrinterOS. They streamlined operations and focused on core business challenges, which meant Fantasy Pets could move quickly from a small startup to a 3D printing leader in the U.S.
But some of their challenges are related more to regulations than the technical side. They have explored expanding their product line, and have gained a deep understanding of just how complex toy manufacturing can be. The U.S. are rigorous safety regulations for products marketed as toys. Chris knows that each item will need to pass torque testing, where limbs and parts are twisted to ensure they won’t break under stress. This can be a major hurdle for 3D-printed designs, where finer details often lack the durability required for certification.
Fantasy Pets avoids labeling their products as toys. Their products are collectibles, which also sets clear expectations for customers. “We don’t ever list them as toys,” Chris explains. “We always say they’re not appropriate for children under six and focus on the collectible aspect.”
Still, the company hasn’t ruled out launching a toy-rated line in the future. They recognize that achieving compliance would require re-engineering designs for durability and navigating complex product liability insurance requirements. “If we go that route,” Chris says, “we’ll likely create a separate company for toys to avoid confusion between toy-rated and non-toy-rated products.”
Their advice to others? Focus on what matters. “Let someone else handle the tech,” Chris says. “3DPrinterOS removed the technical load, so we could put all our energy into growing the business.”
As Fantasy Pets continues to expand, we look forward to seeing how creativity, technology, and smart business strategies can continue to create something truly magical.
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