Billboard Insider is running an interview series with John Musick who has 50 years experience in out of home.  Last week he talked about entering the out of home business.  Today he talks about building signs.

Tell me about the very first sign that you built on your own.

It was about five miles from my house, going into Springfield, MO. I’d watched that location for years and said, ‘I’m saving that one for myself.’ And that was the first one I built. All of my builds were 12x24s or smaller — I was a small company. I sold a lot of directional signs, which is really what I found my niche in, even at Missouri Neon. Thirty or forty years later, some of those signs are still up with the same advertisers. Once you get a good directional advertiser, they stay with you.

Do you still own the sign?

I wanted to keep it separate, but it had to go with the sale. And in fact, today is the one-year anniversary of when I sold the company.

What makes a good site?

A lot of times I listened to advertisers. They’d say, ‘I’d like a sign on Highway 44 or 65 but I can’t find one.’ During those years I could go out and secure one — and I had automatic customers that way. I also looked for right-hand readers. Left-hand signs have their place but I preferred right-hand. I’d drive a location several times before I’d even consider approaching a landowner. And back then, you just stopped and knocked on doors.

You can contact John at john@musicoutdoorllc.com

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