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Sign Art Studio has become a magnet for sign artists who are creative and passionate about what they do. Callie Palan hand-forms aluminum letters for a sign for Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport.

This traditional sign, designed and built by Sign Art Studio, features hand-painted lettering and graphics with surface-mounted neon.

When it’s time to flip the switch on a new project, it doesn’t matter if it’s 4 p.m. on a Friday. The team at Sign Art Studio is there to see the magic happen. “When our team reaches final assembly on a special project, something magical happens. Even if it is Friday afternoon, the beers or weekend plans that are calling aren’t calling loud enough to miss the unveiling,” says Dan Yoder, President of Sign Art Studio.

That’s what happened when the company brought to life a ’50s-era, museum exhibit-inspired sign and product display at Mall of America, the largest shopping and entertainment complex in United States. The Mad Men-themed, two-sided sign designed for Duluth Trading Company’s Museum of Man Area and Underwear Shop features a 7-foot-tall spotlighted rotating bust of men’s underwear, as well as mid-20th century lettering, gilded columns and hand-painted pinstriping.

“We employed both old-world techniques and sophisticated technologies to create a well-crafted sign that’s authentic and unique,” Yoder says. “The result is a distinguishing piece for the new-concept store. Having the right tools and a foundation in old-world techniques like hand-lettering and hand-pinstriping set us apart from the competition.”

Truth be told, Yoder never imagined that one day his business would create major interior and exterior design packages for national customers such as Duluth Trading Company. “When I first started the business, I thought I’d be sitting on a stool hand-painting signs all day,” he says.

Instead, the 12-person operation, formed in 2005 and headquartered in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin, is a full- service design, build and installation company. In addition to interior and exterior signage—which accounts for 60% of the 150 projects that team members are working on at any given time—the company also does environment branding design. “We’ll go on-site to a future office building and design a wall from start to finish that reflects the company’s history and culture,” Yoder says.

Sign Art Studio predominantly works with business owners, general contractors and architectural firms on new construction projects and manufactures nearly all of its electrical signs in-house. “We are certified as UL Listed, meaning that our electrical products have been tested by Underwriters Laboratories using nationally recognized safety and sustainability standards. It gives our customers extra assurance that the electrical signs we produce are safe from fire and electrical shock,” he adds.

The company’s 12,000-square-foot facility resembles a metal fabrication shop, according to Yoder. Employees include project managers and engineers as well as a service team and a full production staff. “We’re experiencing tremendous growth. By the end of 2020, we anticipate growing from 12 to 20 employees and having the capability to take on up to 300 projects at one time,” he says.

That growth comes primarily from referrals and repeat customers. “As we’ve scaled our company, the quality and execution of our products remain constant. Customers recognize this,” Yoder says. He explains that each project is different and requires a great deal of creativity. “The bones of a project might be similar but require a different finish or material. Because of this uniqueness and the creativity involved in our work, our company has become a magnet for those who are passionate about what they do. No one is here just for a paycheck. From the moment they’re on board, they have an unwavering dedication and passion for the work.”

Hard Decisions

Yoder first discovered his own passion for sign making at the age of 19. “I was always into art and drawing. In high school, the only class I looked forward to was art, but I never knew I could leverage my interest into something that could make money.” After spying air-brushed Chevrolet Astro vans around town, Yoder pursued a job at the company that created these customized treatments.

But is wasn’t an easy road for the 20-year-old. “I got fired within a year. But it was through that experience that I got involved in Landmark Forum, which made a huge impact on my life and ultimately led to a great deal of personal growth and development,” he says. Yoder asked for his job back, and during his six-year tenure at the sign-making shop he learned the skills of the trade, including the art of hand carving, hand lettering and pinstriping. “I joined a group of old-school sign artists and sign makers called the Letterheads. We’d hang out, drink beer and paint panels. That’s where I learned these old-world techniques that formed the foundation of Sign Art Studio.” In 2004, Yoder got fired a second time—something he readily admits to. “A lot of times in a moment like that, you feel terrible, but I believe that things happen for a reason,” he says. Back on the market, Yoder was pursued by Peterbilt, an American-based truck manufacturer. “Peterbilt wanted me to head up its graphics department. It was a lot of money, and I was just 25 years old at the time. But I’d always wanted to start my own shop. It was a hard decision, but I decided to go for it.”

"Having the right tools and a foundation in old-world techniques like hand-lettering and hand-pinstriping set us apart from the competition.” Dan Yoder, President, Sign Art Studio

A Portfolio Piece

With just $1,200 in his bank account, Yoder began Sign Art Studio in his parents’ garage. “I used my dad’s tools and started pounding the pavement looking for work. I’d see a business that didn’t have a sign or had a sign that needed upgrading and offer my services,” he says.

Within nine months, Yoder landed a project that would change the trajectory of his company. “I reached out to my best friend’s mom, who worked for a developer. The company needed a main entry sign for a new development called the Fitchburg Technology Campus,” he says. “I came up with a design and the client loved it. Less than a year after starting the business, I had my portfolio piece.”

The sign—which Yoder admits he priced so low he basically gave it away—is still one of his favorites. “The sign features mixed media, including two stone columns, fabricated steel, aluminum and copper and a giant cedar beam that spans across two columns. That was in 2006 when it was uncommon to see exposed wood,” he says.

Passion Projects

Another of Yoder’s favorite projects was one that started with an email inquiry to a general mailbox. “The Orpheum Theater in Madison has been around since the 1920s. In the 1950s, they replaced the original sign with a boring, uninspired sign. When the theater was bought, I had my eye on that sign again, hoping the new owners would replace it. I sent an email to the theater’s general email address and within a day, the owner called me,” he says.

One of Sign Art Studio’s specialties is understanding and working around city sign ordinances. “I have a deep level of knowledge of city ordinances and experience negotiating with municipal officials to get the client the best visibility,” Yoder says. While the sign ordinance for the city of Madison dictated that the largest sign must be less than 32 square feet, the 400-square-foot 1950s sign was grandfathered in. “We were told that at that size we could repaint the 1950s sign but we couldn’t do a new design.” Yoder researched the original sign from 1927, bringing in old photos to the city for consideration as an alternative option to the 1950s sign. “Once city officials reviewed those old photos, the city approved replicating the original sign from the 1920s, including the flashing border, which is not typically allowed.”

To replicate the 400-square-foot sign, Yoder married old and new sign-making techniques. “I reproduced the original design by hand, laying it out on a drafting table. Once I had the design, we scanned it in for production,” he says. “The sign face was machine-cut, but everything else was built by hand.” The result was a 4,500-pound, 55-foot-tall sign with 2,000 flashing light bulbs. “This checks all the boxes of a passion project. It was an incredible experience,” he adds.

Other noteworthy projects include interior and exterior signage for 1919 Kitchen & Tap, a sports bar and gastropub at Lambeau Field, home of the Green Bay Packers; a sign project for the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame; and interior and exterior sign packages for more than 40 Duluth retail locations.

Industry Recognition

Over the years, the company has garnered a number of awards for its Orpheum Theater sign, including a Mayor’s Design Award from the City of Madison Planning Division, first place in Small Sign Shop design from the Wisconsin Sign Association and first place in Electric Building Signs from the Signs of the Times international trade magazine.

In the community, Sign Art Studio works hard to promote the trades, taking on apprentices and hosting local high school and middle school classes. “We had a high school apprentice last year and have hired another apprentice in 2020. Additionally, we’ve hosted tours for several art classes from the middle and high schools,” Yoder says.

Empowering Employees

While he can be found on the floor passing down tried-and-true techniques, Yoder spends a great deal of time coaching and empowering the company’s departmental leaders.

“I started this company because I knew I could build better signs than the competition, and I operated like that for eight or nine years, working very long hours. But the rapid growth of our company has really forced us to put emphasis and thought into developing processes that make us more efficient,” he says.

Yoder’s father, Steve, who is himself an entrepreneur, began coming into the shop Thursday nights to answer employee questions and to help develop business processes. Never an avid reader, Yoder listens to podcasts and audio books on management and leadership. He comments, “About two and a half years ago, I was fortunate enough to hire my father on a full-time basis. We’ve gained a lot of traction through his knowledge and expertise.”

And key to gaining that traction is making sure the lines of communication are always open. “When we’re under the gun and the hours are long, having good communication and streamlined business processes in place is essential,” he says.

To enable that, Yoder retains an online executive business coach who works with team leaders each week. “Our coach helps the leadership develop, tweak and modify their playbooks for their departments,” he says. Yoder admits that while some weeks are for business coaching, others are essentially therapy sessions. “Our coach helps leadership sift through the nonsense and achieve clarity. Having those weekly meetings is worth every penny.”

Better communication leads to a better understanding of people, including the client, according to Yoder. “The more you can understand what makes a person tick and how they operate, the better things operate. Is this a client who needs a quick response time or is particularly concerned about budget? This business is all about people. When we understand each other, we produce exceptional results,” he says.

In addition to fostering transparency and making room for individual growth, Yoder is proud to offer employees competitive salaries, profit-sharing, retirement-matching, flexible time off and health insurance with a zero deductible. “We make sure our team members have the tools they need for success—whether that’s a business coach, new project management software or literally the tools they need to do their jobs. It’s so important that employees know how much we value them. When your North Star is an individual’s success and happiness, the rest will follow.”