Company: Giesken Outdoor

Markets: Ohio

Headquarters: 115 Sophia’s Lane, Ottawa, OH  45875

Phone: (866) 443-7536 or (419) 233-71453

Mail:  tom@gieskenoutdoor.com

Giesken Outdoor Advertising operates a billboard plant in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan, mainly Dearborn Heights with both digital and static billboards.  Tom Giesken started the company in 2000 after stints at Root Outdoor Advertising and Lamar. Giesken is an operator associate in the IBOUSA.  Giesken was the subject of a May 2018 Lima News article.   In August 2019 Insider wrote about how Giesken uses drones to film billboards.

Tom, how did you enter the out of home advertising business?

I started working in outdoor with a well run family owned operation based in Toledo Ohio around 1996 called Root Outdoor. They trained me as a Leasing Agent and how to manage billboard leases and basic operations until they sold to Lamar in 2000. Soon after being let go I started my own company and starting adding new locations with Retrofit Poster panels from Tiffin Metal which no one was doing at the time. Now, almost all billboards have been converted to these type of application. In the same new technology vein, I started building digital billboards in Detroit back in 2009 when hardly anybody was doing it.

Tell us about your plant.

I built my company inventory up to close to 200 faces and sold most of them in 2007 but kept my assets in Michigan. As of recently, I’ve sold all my Detroit assets over the past 2 years and havebeen rebuilding my plant in Ohio with premier locations which are mostly digital with a couple static locations. I have great relations with my Lessors, my advertising clients as well as the communities I am in since I do a lot of PSA advertising on my digitals. I actively try to keep 1 spot on each digital solely for Non-Profit advertising and I encourage everybody to do that. It is not only the right thing to do but creates a ton of Good will.

Whose digital signs do you use and what have you learned?

I have used Watchfire Digital Signs exclusively to this point because of the customer service provided to smaller companies like mine as well as the great product they produce. However, other LED companies have some great products and some unique and pertinent applications for specific construction situations that would be desirable.

Fortunately I just recently sold my Detroit assets which are a very tough sale in this economic climate. I had to do it once during the 2008-9 economic recession. That was rough. Recently, I had a couple major clients either cancel(w/ a 60 day cancel clause) and a couple just asking for some time off. Fortunately, most of my clients are local and most are on long term contracts. I just got my first “new” contract during the COVID19 period today. I’ve been listening to Billboard Insider podcasts which help me to think “outside the box” and brainstorm on sales ideas. I am consolidating some loans just to be safe but overall, things are pretty good. I plan on hiring a new sales person in the very new future!