Yesterday we featured Parker Outdoor as Billboard Insider’s Company of the Day.  Parker Outdoor’s founder Brad Sourbeer updated us on what’s new.

Parker is growing

Time to think about staffing

I am realizing that this amount of inventory might require several more sales people or at least one full time. My son helped out in sales over the last year and he did well but is now off to college for a Master’s degree. My wife Heidi is our Digital Director and we hired her daughter to help her out especially when we travel , which is about 10 weeks a years. We continue to strive for longer contracts . We are getting really tired of the ad agencies not paying on time , major Billion dollar companies cannot seem to be able to find the check book. I’m trying to create a new industry buzzword ” solo vinyl’s” vs. static boards , being from the Vinyl ( records) era and with vinyl’s making a big comeback, I think it’s a catchy phrase and hope you can help promote it.

Interest rates are a downer

Lending and rates are affecting my mood for future development, the difference is 25% vs. 38% of new digital inventory must be booked to cover the new higher rate debt .  Does not seem too bad but it’s still 3 slots of 12 vs. 4.5 slots, which does not count power and landowner payments , so then you are pushing 45 to 50%.

The importance of a diversified customer base

We keep trying to expand our client base with different types of business, more tourist based in Arizona , than Washington. More construction in Washington than Arizona.  Still trying to find one or two good long term personal injury attorneys. Got 2 booked this last week , hoping they can go big.