This is our last interview with John Musick who has more than 50 years experience in the out of home business.  John has talked about getting into out of home,  building signs,  installing solar, writing leases and doing it yourself.  Today he talks about knowing when to sell your out of home company.

The 2002 Scenic America Fight

I’m very familiar with the 2002 version. Scenic America was coming into Missouri trying to make all billboards nonconforming and then legislate them to be removed without compensation. Bill May — who is in the Outdoor Advertising Hall of Fame — worked closely with the government for decades through MOAA. He helped negotiate a compromise: downsizing square footage and increasing spacing between signs. The government worked with us and we were able to defeat that measure. Missouri has a huge tourist business, and directional signs are critical for that. I’ve always believed you don’t have to sell a directional sign — the advertiser already wants it because it makes them money.

What made you decide the time was right to sell, and how did the sale process go?

I got to 79 years old and decided it was time. It’s a lot of work now that didn’t used to be. I had some major companies look at my operation, but I could tell from the start they were corporate, and I wanted to keep it local. I found a buyer I could trust — someone who would treat customers the way they should be treated. I just held it back and sold it to him. I wanted the company in the control of someone who would talk to people.

What have you been doing since the sale?

We live on a farm, so I keep myself busy. But I still have that bad habit of driving by and looking for new locations, sizing up advertisers. My wife says I’ve got to stop — but that’s a hard habit to break. I do have a five-year restrictive covenant, so I’m not building anything. I’ll occasionally call the new owner if I know someone who might be a good advertiser and say, ‘Hey, mind if I reach out to them?’ But otherwise I’m just adjusting. It’s not the same.

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