David Buring on the out of home business.

David Buring, a 25 year executive in the out of home advertising business, operates Burelz Billboards in Memphis, Tennessee.  Buring helps people to manage their out of home businesses and to evaluate out of home investment opportunities.  Insider talked with Buring earlier this week.  You can reach David at 901-289-5951 or dburing@aol.com

David, how did you enter the out of home business?

I bought a building a little over 25 years ago. In the parking lot was a billboard owned by the largest outdoor advertising company in Memphis at the time. Their main competitor had offered the building owner double the amount of land rent that they were receiving . Something about that intrigued me. I told myself that I should learn about the billboard business. Within a few months I was off and running, and in early 1992 I started my own outdoor company.

What have you done in the out of home business?

I was fortunate enough to sell my first outdoor company in 1998 to Eller. Since then I have owned either all of, or part of 3 more outdoor companies that were sold. Two of those were in Memphis, where I am from and live, and the other two were out of town. I have met some amazing people in the billboard business around the country, and I stay in touch with most of them.  I find the outdoor business to be a small industry in so many ways. If you’ve been in it for the 25 years I have been, then you just connect with others in an easy way. We all know so many of the same people.
What services does your firm provide?
First and foremost, I own billboards in Memphis and Nashville, TN.  We also offer services for individuals and companies looking to purchase billboards as well assisting those companies looking to sell their systems.  This includes providing due diligence and the ability to evaluate whether or not the prospective location is a good fit for our customers.  With 25 years of experience building and purchasing billboards, whether its a static, digital or tri-vision, our company can provide unbiased opinions in assisting prospective buyers with their outdoor advertising needs.
What are some common mistakes people make when entering the out of home business?
I cannot tell you how many calls I have received over the years, even as recently as last week, from people that have already purchased a billboard and cannot understand why it is not performing as expected.  At that point, the mistake has already been made.  We assist with prospective buyers to avoid these mistakes and provide guidance that may otherwise go unseen.  For example, evaluating the land lease or easement, looking at potential vegetation issues, as well as area competition and visibility opportunities.

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