The Signs of Business

Walter and Debbie Valiant are the owners of AmeriStamp Sign-A-Rama in Evansville, Indiana.

What kind of background did each of you have before you got into the sign business?
Debbie: Walter was a Systems Analyst at McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis, and Debbie was attending nursing school when Walter’s folks decided it was time for them to retire. We took over the family business in 1985 and incorporated SIGNARAMA into our business in 1997.

Was there anything that prepared you specifically for this industry?
Debbie: Walter grew up in the family business and has a background in computers and accounting.

Out of all the sign franchises out there, why did you choose Sign-A-Rama?
Walter: SIGNARAMA was a good fit for our existing company, AmeriStamp. We were already making interior signs and some banners so it was a natural transition. SIGNARAMA seemed to have some of the same business values as we did and has grown to be the world’s largest sign company along with being ranked as the #1 Sign Franchise by Entreprenuer for 9 or 10 years now!

Since you’ve been in business, how has the industry changed?
Walter: Of course, the technology has changed tremendously. The digital equipment available now is tremendous. We used to make most of our signs with cutout vinyl letters applied to some kind of material whether banner or various rigid materials. Tedious and time-consuming! Now we put those same materials in one of our three printers and print whatever we want. Our flatbed printer allows us to print directly to substrates and on anything up to 2″ thick: tabletops, doors, anything you can imagine. We have one of the bathroom doors (men’s) in our facility printed to look like an outhouse! It’s a hoot! Our first ‘wide format digital printer’ was a 3′ wide printer with markers instead of ink cartridges – it was quite limited but it was our first taste of the potential of digital printing.

How has the business climate changed?
Debbie: The internet has changed how we all do business, social networking, online ordering, it’s all expected to be fast. Which is good for us, because Walter’s father started the business based on fast, reliable service. He offered Rubber Stamps in one day when it was usually 2 weeks to get a simple rubber stamp made.

What has it been like working together for nearly 25 years?
Debbie: Everyone asks us this. We really don’t know any other way, it just seems natural for us to be a team and work together. I think what really helps us is that we both have distinct roles in the business. Walter does the numbers, technology, equipment research…
Walter: and Debbie does everything else! She is really good at helping the customers get exactly what they want and need. She’s a ferocious marketer and loves to tell customers about new products and ideas. She manages all of the internal sales people and makes sure that our showroom is constantly stocked with new and fresh signs and ideas.

What has been your proudest accomplishments both personal and professional?
Debbie: Personal, raising 3 really cool guys, watching them graduate from Purdue and grow into the young men they are today.
Walter: Being internationally recognized by SIGNARAMA for two recent awards: Customer Service Award in 2009 and the Store Appearance award in 2008 were some recent highlights.

Walter, what do you think your father could say if he could see the business now?
Walter: “What did you do to my business?!?” No, I’d like to think he’d be impressed. He was always an innovator and loved technology and inventing things so I think he’d like how we constantly come up with creative solutions for people’s signage needs.

What has been the most exciting thing that has happened to your business in the last 6 months?
Debbie: WOW….there have been a lot of really cool things. I think our “Signs of Support” program is one of the neatest things….it allows us the opportunity to work with charitable organizations to help them with their signage needs.

Where do you see the sign industry going?
Walter: Definitely more digital. Signs that used to be reprinted each week with a new message are now a digital screen at a fraction of the cost of reprinting. And the information can be changed at any time from anywhere. There is some really cool technology out there, and like always, we’ll be right there along with it!

What advice would you give to a new business owner just starting out in today’s economy?
Valiants: Be prepared to work really hard, put your customers and employees first….it’s not about you.
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Thank you, again, to Walter and Debbie Valiant – owners of AmeriStamp Sign-A-Rama in Evansville, Indiana. For more information, check out their website:
www.SignsOverAmerica.com – AmeriStamp Sign-A-Rama