TEMBLOR SAFETY FASTEN-ATING; DEVICES KEEP FURNITURE FROM FLYING AROUND.

Byline: Gregory J. Wilcox Daily News Staff Writer

Four years after the disastrous Northridge Earthquake, merchandise continues to fly off the shelves - only this time it's helping the bottom lines of a handful of San Fernando Valley-area businesses.

These entrepreneurial companies are profiting by sticking to a basic business plan: Sell consumers easy-to-install devices that keep heavy furniture, bric-a-brac, pictures, lamps, computers, television sets and glassware from breaking during a temblor.

In some cases, their markets have expanded beyond consumers to businesses that are worried about potential damage from the next big shaker.

The market growth ``is incredible, to say the least,'' said Michael Essrig, co-owner of Westlake Village-based Safe-T-Proof Inc. ``Now we even have major corporate clients. I guess people realized that they had better do something, so our phones continue to ring.''

The company manufacturers its own fastening systems, then installs them in homes or businesses as part of an earthquake preparedness plan.

Home systems cost about $400 and take about eight hours to install. Commercial systems are more complicated and can cost as much as $25,000.

Businesses typically are concerned about protecting computer systems, Essrig said.

``A lot of the companies want to save downtime. If their data center goes down, then they are down,'' he said. ``The second thing they focus on is the safety issue. They don't want file cabinets falling down on their employees.''

To demonstrate the strength of the fastening system to potential customers, Safe-T-Proof built what it calls an ``earthquake house.'' It's a mobile home that simulates an 8.0-magnitude quake.

The company also does disaster planning and drills.

At Van Nuys-based Fastening Solutions Inc., quake-related business spiked up after the Jan. 17, 1994, temblor, but has ebbed since.

``We couldn't keep up with it,'' Bill Hopkins, a company vice president and one of the founders, said of customer demand. ``We had orders for 300,000 kits a month, just huge orders, and that volume has not held up.''

The company's main product, the Thumblock Fastener, uses an industrial-strength adhesive, nylon straps and buckles to keep equipment in place. It's also being marketed to boaters and the military.

In fact, Hopkins, a sailor, designed the original product a few years ago to hold down free-standing equipment, like microwave ovens, at sea. The devices are fabricated and assembled by disabled veterans.

Last year the Navy bought fasteners for the 35 submarines in the Trident fleet. ``In fact, they are used by all branches of the military,'' Hopkins said.

Tom Rundberg, owner of Duarte-based Q Safety, said his business, which boomed after the earthquake, remains good today. His company's line of fastening products is sold at all Home Depot stores, 300 smaller hardware stores nationwide and via a catalog.

The company has 12 employees now, but had as many as 80 when its production line ran around the clock for a while after the quake.

The two most popular products are those used to secure items like bookcases and television sets.

Rundberg started the business after the 6.1-magnitude Whittier Narrows temblor Oct. 1, 1987.

``We had a large entertainment center that my daughter was sitting under, and it started moving,'' he recalled. ``I went down to the hardware store to see if there was anything to fasten (the center) with, and there wasn't, so I had to make something myself.''

He's been in business ever since.

Meanwhile, a product named for the disaster is having trouble penetrating the local market. It's called the Northridge Earthquake Gas Shut-off Valve and is manufactured by Pacific Aerospace & Electronics of Wenatchee, Wash.

The valve features a magnetized faceplate that makes it easy for homeowners to turn the natural-gas flow on and off, and it automatically cuts the flow in the event of a quake of a magnitude of 5.2 or higher.

It's being distributed by Seismic Safety Products Inc.'s base in West Los Angeles, but owner Les Saffil says he's facing tough competition from Southern California Gas Co., which sells its own valve. So business has been slow for Saffil, who is selling the valves this weekend during a home show at Topanga Plaza.

``We're bucking up against all that publicity,'' he said, referring to the gas company logo that appears on the utility's products. ``They sell about 500 a day. We're lucky if we sell five a day.''

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PHOTO (Color) Michael Essrig of Safe-T-Proof displays various gadgets for securing furniture during an earthquake.

Tina Gerson / Daily News