Sign Designs

What Sign Designs does

Sign Designs, Inc. is a privately held, full-service electric sign company founded in 1971 and headquartered in Modesto, California. The company designs, manufactures, installs, and services custom signs and awnings across California and Nevada, with a national installer network enabling multi-site deployment for franchise and enterprise clients. Its product portfolio spans illuminated and non-illuminated signs, dimensional and channel letters, LED message centers, monument and pole signs, vehicle graphics, wayfinding systems, fuel canopies, electronic price signs, awnings, and standardized items such as UL 410-compliant social distancing floor decals. Vertical specializations include an Oil Division serving service station operators and an ADA & Architectural division for healthcare and institutional wayfinding.

The company's revenue model combines one-time project-based sign design and manufacturing fees, professional installation services, recurring maintenance contracts, and a small e-commerce line of standardized products. Go-to-market is direct sales-led, with quote-based pricing and project engineering, permitting coordination, and certified welding and crane operations handled in-house. Customer concentration is distributed across major national brands in restaurant, fuel/retail, and nonprofit categories, including Starbucks, Applebee's, Chevron, Shell, KFC, ConocoPhillips, and Salvation Army. Sign Designs holds a California contractor license (#268001), UL product certification, and California Small Business certification (SB 2019393), and maintains active memberships in ISA, WSA, and CSA trade associations. No external funding, acquisitions, or AI/ML initiatives are disclosed.

Name

Sign Designs

Legal name

Sign Designs, Inc.

Website

https://www.signdesigns.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sign Designs is a electric sign company that designs, manufactures, installs, and services custom signs and awnings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom Signage Manufacturing

NAICS

Sign Manufacturing (33995), Sign Manufacturing (339950), Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (541850)

SIC

Electric Lighting & Wiring Equipment (3640), Electrical Work (1731)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHSACADAJ

Corporate Event Decor, Branding & Signage

Home & Personal Services/Event & Personal Concierge Services/Corporate Event & Meeting Services

SECONDARYBPAHAKAN

Wayfinding, Signage & Environmental Graphic Design

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Architecture, Design & Planning Services

SECONDARYHDACADAL

Digital Signage & Commercial Displays

Hardware, Technology & Telecom/Computing Hardware & Peripherals/Computer Monitors & Displays

Keywords

• Custom sign manufacturing
• Commercial signage services
• Electric sign installation
• Channel letter fabrication
• ADA architectural signage

Headquarters

HQ city

Modesto

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Sign Design and Manufacturing: Custom sign design, manufacturing, and fabrication services for electric signs and awnings. Revenue generated from one-time project-based engagements for custom signage solutions.
2. Installation Services: Professional installation of signage including structural engineering, permitting coordination, and nationwide installer network deployment
3. Maintenance Services: Ongoing maintenance contracts and periodic inspection services to preserve sign investment
4. E-commerce Store Products: Online store selling promotional items and social distancing floor decals with 3M overlaminates meeting UL 410 standards

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Sign Designs designs, manufactures, installs, and services custom electric signs and awnings for business customers in California and Nevada. Its portfolio spans illuminated and non-illuminated signs, channel letters, LED message centers, monument and pole signs, fuel canopies, electronic price signs, vehicle graphics, wayfinding systems, and awnings, supported by in-house engineering, permitting, and a national installer network for multi-site rollouts.

Product overview

Sign Designs is a full-service electric sign company offering a comprehensive portfolio of custom signage products and services. The company operates a design-to-installation model encompassing Manufacturing, Installation, and Maintenance as core service pillars, supplemented by specialized divisions including an Oil Division for service stations, ADA & Architectural signage, and Permitting services. The product portfolio includes illuminated and non-illuminated signs, dimensional and channel letters, LED message centers, vehicle graphics, wayfinding systems, monument and pole signs, fuel canopies, electronic price signs, awnings, and Social Distancing Floor Decals. The company serves clients throughout California and Nevada, with a national network for installation and project management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Signs Bespoke signage solutions designed, manufactured, installed, and serviced for businesses throughout California and Nevada.
• Illuminated and Non-Illuminated Signs Signs with or without internal lighting, including electric signage and lighting solutions for visibility and brand impact.
• Dimensional and Channel Letters Three-dimensional lettering and individually mounted letters that create depth and visual prominence for building exteriors.
• LED Message Centers Electronic signage capable of displaying dynamic messages, time, temperature, and customizable content via LED technology.
• Vehicle Graphics Custom graphics and wraps for vehicles to promote brand identity while in transit.
• Wayfinding Signs Interior and exterior directional signage systems to guide visitors through facilities.
• Monument and Pole Signs Freestanding ground-mounted signage including monument signs and tall pole signs for high-visibility branding.
• Fuel Canopies Branded canopy structures for service stations covering fuel pump areas, often featuring illuminated signage and advertising frames.
• Electronic Price Signs Digital displays for service stations showing fuel prices, capable of updating electronically.
• Awnings Custom-designed awnings for commercial properties providing shade, weather protection, and branding opportunities.
• Permitting Services In-house design and management of permit applications with experience working with municipalities from pre-submittal through plan approval.
• Maintenance Services Comprehensive sign maintenance including seasonal inspections, rust review, lighting component checks, surface cleaning, emergency repairs, and warranty services.
• Installation Services Professional installation of signage including interior and exterior projects, with API safety-certified crews and a national network of installation professionals.
• Welding Services Certified welding for structural steel, stainless steel, aluminum, and other metals for both shop and field applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• LED conversion reduces energy and maintenance costs for service stations

Named customers15 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and moderate.

• International Sign Association (ISA)minorOthersISA member providing industry representation, standards development, and networking opportunities within the sign manufacturing industry.
• WSA (Western Sign Association)minorOthersRegional trade association membership for the Western sign industry, providing industry standards and regional networking.
• UL (Underwriters Laboratories)coreTechnology or IntegrationUL certification for signs ensuring products meet safety standards for electrical signage. Products carry the UL Mark demonstrating compliance.
• California Chamber of CommerceminorOthersChamber membership providing business advocacy, networking, and regional business community engagement.
• CSA (California Sign Association)moderateOthersActive membership with CSA - Pete Michelini serves as 1st Vice President. Company participates in CSA events and seminars. Source of industry education and networking.
• California Department of General Services - Office of Small Business & DVBE ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCertifying body for the company's Small Business (SB) certification ID: 2019393, enabling participation in government contracting opportunities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• YESCO: YESCO is one of the largest full-service electric sign manufacturers in the Western US, designing, manufacturing, installing, and servicing custom signs and lighting. It directly competes with Sign Designs across the same product categories (channel letters, monument signs, LED message centers, service station signage) and shares a strong Western US footprint overlapping Sign Designs' California/Nevada territory.
• FASTSIGNS: FASTSIGNS is a large franchised network of sign and graphics centers producing custom signs, vehicle graphics, and visual communications for business customers nationwide. It is a direct competitor in custom signage and franchise/enterprise rollouts, with comparable product breadth across channel letters, wayfinding, and illuminated signage.
• Federal Heath Sign Company: Federal Heath is a national full-service sign manufacturer and installer serving retail, restaurant, hospitality, and service station customers across the US. It competes head-to-head with Sign Designs in national multi-site franchise programs and service-station signage.
• SignZone / IZone Imaging: SignZone (parent of IZone Imaging, Identity Group, and代理商) is a major manufacturer of architectural and identity signage for enterprise, healthcare, and education clients. It is a comparable peer in ADA-compliant architectural sign programs and large multi-site rollouts, particularly in healthcare where Sign Designs also competes.
• Poblocki Sign Company: Poblocki is a long-established full-service sign manufacturer serving retail, restaurant, healthcare, and commercial real estate customers nationwide. It is a comparable peer in design-manufacture-install-maintain service models and national franchise signage programs.
• Allen Industries: Allen Industries is a national sign and branding solutions provider focused on multi-site rollouts for restaurant, retail, hospitality, and petroleum customers. Its service-station and franchise QSR book overlaps directly with Sign Designs' core Oil Division and franchise brand segments.
• ASI Signage Innovations: ASI is a leading manufacturer of architectural signage, wayfinding systems, and ADA-compliant identity products for healthcare, education, and corporate environments. It is directly comparable to Sign Designs' ADA & Architectural division and competes for similar institutional wayfinding work.
• Heath & Company Signs: Heath & Company is a California-based commercial sign manufacturer serving retail, restaurant, and commercial real estate customers in the Western US. It is geographically and product-line comparable to Sign Designs across illuminated signage, channel letters, and franchise rollouts in California.

Broad incumbents

• LSI Industries: LSI Industries is a publicly traded lighting and graphics solutions provider serving retail, petroleum, and commercial customers with a broad portfolio spanning LED lighting, signage, and graphics. It competes with Sign Designs in service-station signage and LED retrofit programs, but as a much larger diversified lighting/graphics company rather than a sign-only specialist.
• Daktronics: Daktronics is a large manufacturer of electronic LED displays, scoreboards, and dynamic message signs used in commercial, transportation, and sports applications. It overlaps with Sign Designs' LED message centers and electronic price sign products but as a much larger, publicly traded display specialist.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SignDesignsInc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/signs-de-signs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sign Designs