The History of AmeriStamp Sign-A-Rama
Beginnings
In 1957, Arthur and Benita Valiant moved from the Chicago area to open a rubber stamp manufacturing company in Evansville, Indiana. Valiant Marking Products began as an office on Main Street in Evansville. At the time, an order for a single rubber stamp would take nearly 2 weeks to be delivered. Mr. Valiant knew he could do it faster. He offered same day service on rubber stamp orders placed before 11am. If your order was placed after 11am you could pick up your stamp the next day. AmeriStamp Sign-A-Rama still offers this service today: in by 11, out by 4.
Changes and Market Share
It took a while to convince business owners, accountants and bankers that their rubber stamp order would be completed within a day, but when that concept took hold, Valiant Marking Products began to fill more orders and enjoyed servicing repeat customers. In the 1960's, Valiant Marking Products changed its name to Arben Stamp Company. 'Arben' is a combination of the two founders' names, Arther and Benita.
Computerization
In the mid-1980's, son Walter Valiant along with his wife, Debbie, took over the day-to-day operations of Arben Stamp Company. Leaning heavily on his experience as a computer programmer for McDonnell Douglas, one of his first major changes was to computerize the operations. The first desktop computer helped modernize the invoicing system. Soon, other computers were added to facilitate typesetting and
engraving.
Diversification
One of the earliest types of signs Arben Stamp Company produced were engraved desk nameplates. The same types of professionals who needed rubber stamps also needed nameplates. Customers soon began to ask about other types of signs like banners and id tags. Being entrepreneurs at heart, Walter and Debbie figured out how to make banners. This included some very late nights, an immaculately swept garage at their home, and getting on hands and knees to figure out the best way to apply the adhesive vinyl lettering to banner material.
Getting the knack of banners, they could see how other types of signs could be created using the same basic process. They began talking to their customers about signage needs and discovered that most of their existing customer base needed or used signs of some type.
National Distribution
In 1993, Arben Stamp Company was named the Heavy Weight Dealer of the Year by the Marking Device Institute, the industry's leading trade organization. This honor came as a result of the countless hours invested in meeting the needs of the customers in a timely, cost-effective manner. Orders were being faxed in for rubber stamps from all over the country, and even some from overseas. However, Walter and Debbie could still see that they needed to diversify even more fully. Even with the success of the rubber stamp division of their business, they knew customers would benefit greatly from the addition of a sign division.
To highlight this changing pattern and to encourage a more national mind-set, Arben Stamp Company's name was changed to AmeriStamp.
Room to Grow
Not satisfied with the limitations of their existing locations, AmeriStamp decided to build an 8500 sq ft free-standing building in the middle of a corn field. Located just a few blocks from Evansville East Side's main commercial area, the area was primed for growth. Not long after the completion of the facility in 1996, other buildings began popping up. The facility is now surrounded by business neighbors.
Franchising
Learning about the vast array of different sign materials and manufacturing processes is a daunting task. Walter and Debbie began investigating sign franchises as a way to gain immediate knowledge and support. After thoroughly researching all of the franchise systems, they decided on
Sign-A-Rama in 1997. Sign-A-Rama was and still is the largest sign franchise in the world. Sign-A-Rama now boasts nearly 1000 locations in 50 countries. Tapping into this set of industry knowledge has been critical to the growth and stability of AmeriStamp Sign-A-Rama.
Customer Service
From beginning as a simple rubber stamp company in 1957 to one which can provide marking
and marketing solutions for any industry, business, or organization, AmeriStamp Sign-A-Rama's growth is attributed to tireless customer service and fearless innovation. Each team member we hire is expected to think of the customer's needs and how they can best be met. Each job function we have, whether answering the phones or purchasing raw materials, is directly tied to customer service.
The Future
The exciting thing about the sign industry is that in the last 10 years, the industry itself has changed, grown, and adapted at the same breathtaking speed as personal computers and mobile devices. We love investigating new technologies and how we can best use those technologies to serve the existing and quickly approaching needs of our customers.
Contact Us
If we can help you with your sign, rubber stamp, or other marketing needs, please give us a call (812.477.7763)! We would love to talk with you about how to best maximize your budget and 'WOW' your customers.
