In the world of soundproofing, Rod Kotter is making a lot of noise.

And if there's anything Kotter knows about, it's noise. As an engineer, his designs made plenty of it. But today, as president of Quilite International, he's developed a product that could pretty much eliminate it in places where people don't want it - like near airports.180

"Quilite is more than just a sound barrier," Kotter said of his invention. "It actually absorbs sound and looks good doing it."

While most sound barriers are ugly block walls, Kotter thought his sound wall should be appealing to both the eyes and the ears.

Technically, Kotter developed a light, durable plastic panel system that is easy to install and substantially eliminates noise. The product was specifically designed for noise abatement near highways and airports by reducing noise that is transmitted through and reflected by the wall.The plastic is formed into block modules, which can quickly, easily and cheaply be erected into walls where noise is a problem. Tests have shown that an eight-foot high Quilite wall will reduce 60 percent of audible noise. Higher walls can reduce sound more than 75 percent

But while reducing noise, Quilite does not eliminate light. In fact, the translucent quality of Quilite allows sunlight to pass right through. That's why it can also be used for skylights or even windows. It helps keep out heat and eliminates ultraviolet light.

When Kotter retired as an engineer, he sunk his life savings into the expensive testing and manufacturing costs needed to bring Quilite to market. "It was a risk I felt I really had to take," he said. "I believe in Quilite, and more and more people are starting to believe right along with me."

Quilite has proven to be so effective in reducing noise that Kotter has turned his company from a small operation run out of his garage to an enterprise that is starting to provide sound walls for everything from highways to the new Coors Amphitheater in Chula Vista (CA). In nearby Culver City (CA), Kotter's lightweight, yet sturdy Quilite can be found in Culver West Park, providing a sound barrier between a tennis court and nearby homes. The product can easily be mistaken for blocks of glass.

Culver City helped Kotter get started a few years ago, when officials found out that Los Angeles County had grant money available for businesses that were working defense-industry technology to be used for the private sector, said Miriam Mack of the Culver City Redevelopment Agency. "We sent out a letter to all businesses that had manufacturing codes and we advised them we had money available," she said. Acting as a conduit between Kotter and the county, Culver City was able to come up with about $14,000 for lab testing Kotter's new project.

"He needed to create a wall to demonstrate to CalTrans that his thing really reduces sound," Mack said. "Because he's a Culver City resident, we wanted to help him.

We tried to figure out where would be a good place for a wall, good for us and good for his purpose. We decided he would create a wall at Culver West Park." After more than a year, no one has complained about the noise, said senior management Mark Zierten.

The California Department of Transportation was interested in Quilite, but before it would approve Quilite for use on the state's highways, officials wanted to see if it would work. So, Kotter had to put his product through an extensive testing process and even install a test wall to prove that his design worked.

"Ordinarily, anything you do in a park people complain, but this one is all pluses and no minuses," Zierten said, "The nice thing is that it has the effect of a sound wall, but it doesn't create a dark shadow you would get from a block wall. It allows a fair amount of light through."

The test proved successful, and now Quilite is being sold in several states. Blocking sound isn't the only thing Quilite can do. When sprayed with a chemical, the Quilite becomes highly resistant to graffiti. Paint sprayed onto the material will wash right off with hot water. Rocks won't break it. And the sun won't melt it. In fact, Quilite doesn't begin to melt until the temperature exceeds 300 degrees, withstanding temperatures considerably higher than most commonly used plastics.

"He's a very persistent individual who believes in his project and who continues to promote it and seek acceptance for it," Mack said.

The installation of a 16-foot Quilite wall in the new Coors Amphitheater near San Diego has also proved to be a success."We wanted something different from a stucco wall," said Chris Bitterlin of Bitterlin Development Corp., who was the amphitheater's project coordinator."It's working great and it looks fantastic."

With the wall in place, residents can hardly tell there's a concert going on. "The police officers drove to nearby neighborhoods and couldn't hear anything," said Judy Bell with the city's community development department.

Kotter is not resting on his laurels. He keeps a busy travel schedule that has him visiting all parts of the country showing off Quilite.

"We've talked to highway departments, individual contractors and architects, but we are getting a phenomenal response from airports," Kotter said. "Airports can use Quilite in many, many applications from reducing noise in terminal buildings to shielding local residents from noise created by aircraft engine testing. It's extremely versitile and the cost of building a Quilite wall is very competitive to traditional sound walls."