Company: M&S Signs

Markets: Northeastern Michigan

Headquarters: East Tawas, MI  48730

Phone: 989-820-6791 or 989-310-0632

M&S Signs is locally owned and operated by Cliff Miller and Don Seymour. Cliff and Don Started M&S Signs in 1992 to make affordable advertising available that would reach both the local customer and tourists in Northeastern Michigan. It began as one sign for the use of businesses owned by Cliff and Don. It now has over 80 faces reaching from Standish to Alpena and as far West as West Branch.

How did you enter the outdoor business?

We each owned a shoe store and furniture store. Needed to advertise on a billboard and decided to purchase property and build our own. My business went up 18 percent the first year. We sold shoes from 5 to 15, AAAA to EEEEE, and it got their attention. It was so much fun to see something work so well.

Tell us about your plant.

We started out putting up our own signs and I kept leasing properties. Then about ten years ago we had a almost fatal experience. I touched a 12,000 volt power line with a metal rod. I burned both hands and lucky to be alive. So we now have an subcontracted installer that works for other sign companies and a subcontracted graphic artist that also works for other companies. Sales are handled by us.

What’s the Michigan outdoor market like?

We are having the best year we have ever had. It was kind of slow after 9-11 but seems to be coming back.

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

We have one digital from Watchfire and very happy with it.

Any particular issues operating a plant in a cold snowy climate?

Not really any problem.

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