signshopjon
New Member
Hello everyone!
I grew up in the sign business after my dad came home from the Navy with a new skill: hand lettering.
For years, we ran a part-time sign gig out of the garage while Dad worked his “real” jobs. Then, in ’89, he took the plunge and went full-time into the business. Along with my stepmom, my uncle, and me, we ran “Sign Post” for a decade before Dad decided to step back.
We were one of the first shops in our rural county to have a computer-aided sign-making system (anyone remember CASmate?), and we built a solid shop. When we started, there were only two sign shops around, but after 10 years, there were nine in a county of just 15,000—talk about saturation!
In ’99, I ventured into the world of web design and eventually moved into IT, building a 15-year career as a cybersecurity expert. But even then, I always kept signs and murals going on the side. Finally, this January, I came back to the business full-time with The Sign Shop, and I’m having the time of my life!
Much has changed, but a lot remains the same. I’m proud to be part of this industry, one that’s truly in my blood.
Looking forward to connecting with new faces and making The Sign Shop something my dad would be proud of if he were still here with us.
Thanks!
Jon Watkins
The Sign Shop
Bellefontaine, Ohio
I grew up in the sign business after my dad came home from the Navy with a new skill: hand lettering.
For years, we ran a part-time sign gig out of the garage while Dad worked his “real” jobs. Then, in ’89, he took the plunge and went full-time into the business. Along with my stepmom, my uncle, and me, we ran “Sign Post” for a decade before Dad decided to step back.
We were one of the first shops in our rural county to have a computer-aided sign-making system (anyone remember CASmate?), and we built a solid shop. When we started, there were only two sign shops around, but after 10 years, there were nine in a county of just 15,000—talk about saturation!
In ’99, I ventured into the world of web design and eventually moved into IT, building a 15-year career as a cybersecurity expert. But even then, I always kept signs and murals going on the side. Finally, this January, I came back to the business full-time with The Sign Shop, and I’m having the time of my life!
Much has changed, but a lot remains the same. I’m proud to be part of this industry, one that’s truly in my blood.
Looking forward to connecting with new faces and making The Sign Shop something my dad would be proud of if he were still here with us.
Thanks!
Jon Watkins
The Sign Shop
Bellefontaine, Ohio
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I have a Mimaki cutter with FineCut 9 now - using Illustrator from a Windows 11 box.
