Company: Franklin Outdoor Advertising
Headquarters: 20092 Edison Circle East • Clearwater, MN 55320
Markets: Minnesota, Wisconsin
Phone: 320.558.3000
Email: mail@franklinoutdoor.com
Franklin Outdoor is a family-owned business started in 1978 by Jim Franklin and now owned by his son Keith Franklin. The third generation, Dan Franklin, is active in the business today. The company operates a plant of over 835 billboards located throughout Minnesota and Western Wisconsin.
The company also has an on premise sign business, a fleet and trailer graphics signs business and portable 4′ by 8′ and 6′ by 10′ signs. Through it’s sister company, Franklin Graphics, it prints all of its own billboards and for several other billboard companies. The company’s plant includes 8 digital structures
In 2016 Franklin Outdoor acquired the Minnesota Outdoor plant in Bemidji, Crosby and Staples, Minnesota. In 2017 Franklin Outdoor acquired some Clear Channel Outdoor billboards in Rochester, MN. In 2019 Franklin Outdoor acquired the Design Angler billboards in Bemidji, MN. Insider talked with Dan Franklin, Director of Operations.
Dan, how did you get in the out of home business?
I got into the billboard business when I was 13 sanding and blocking out panels for the paint shop to reuse for painting the next sign. A few years later I moved into installing and posting in the summers through high school and college. After graduation I started full time for the business in the operations side of the business. I have been focusing more on the acquisition and growth of the company the last few years.
What impact, if any, has the coronavirus had on your business?
With Minnesota’s stay at home order we have had everyone working remotely, so it has changed a lot of how we are operating and keeping everyone working. We have had several businesses reach out about helping with payments, the restaurant industry has been forced closed since mid-March here and will be till at least the end of April . We have been working with our clients to keep them financially strong so when the virus is over they are in a good place and can continue to be clients for years to come.
Whose digital signs do you use and what have you learned about digital?
We use Formetco for our billboards and have used Daktronics for our on-premise signs. The flexibility of being able to run short term and specific ads is an awesome ability. One thing that I have tried to do is used them to complement our rotary plant in St. Cloud, I had one client that was on two of our rotary faces and two of the digitals and we moved the signs around St. Cloud, that way they get the benefit of the flexibility of the digitals to run different ads and the benefit of the static faces for the constant brand awareness.
Are you really a college rugby coach?
Yes! I started playing in high school and played at St. John’s University here in Minnesota. After I graduated in 2006 I started to coaching at St. John’s. In 2012 and 2013 we wont the National Small College Championship. I continue to play today when I can for a men’s team here in St. Cloud, MN.
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