What Monterey Signs does

Monterey Signs is a privately held, family-owned custom sign shop founded in 2008 by Shawn Adams and Anjanette Adams and headquartered at 855 Broadway Avenue in Seaside, California. The company operates as a full-service sign contractor (License 965016) covering design, permits, fabrication, and installation for commercial, electrical, and printed signage, serving Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties plus surrounding Central Coast communities. Core products span three categories: commercial signs (sandblasted, routed, ADA-compliant, metal, monument, blade, dimensional letters), electrical signs (channel letters, neon, reverse pan halo-lit, LED), and printed signage (banners, vehicle wraps, wall and window graphics, building wraps), supplemented by digital signage systems. Underlying technology includes craftsmanship-intensive fabrication using kiln-dried Cedar, Redwood, and HDU, plus what the company describes as the largest and fastest wide-format digital inkjet press in its three-county service area.

The business employs approximately 13 people across design, production, project management, and installation, supported by long-tenured staff including a graphic designer with 14+ years of industry experience and a 20-year industry veteran. Revenue is generated primarily through project-based, one-time contracts for custom sign fabrication and installation, with graphic and logo design services billed at $75/hour with a two-hour minimum (~$400 average logo project). Pricing is otherwise quote-based, with free estimates and on-site consultations positioned as the recommended first step and a 24-hour quote-response SLA from the website. The company sells direct to customers across multiple verticals — hospitality (Portola Hotel & Spa, Ventana Big Sur, Verve Coffee Roasters), healthcare (Montage Medical Group), commercial real estate (Cushman & Wakefield), government (Monterey Regional Airport, Monterey Conference Center), automotive (Tesla), sports (Santa Cruz Warriors), and nonprofit (Goodwill) — with notable enterprise contract wins including a 200-sign 30-day Cushman & Wakefield rebrand and a 150+ sign Ventana Big Sur program. Distribution is exclusively direct sales within a fixed regional radius; there is no online self-service purchase path.

Monterey Signs is self-funded with no external institutional capital and operates a sister company, Santa Cruz Signs, extending reach into Santa Cruz County. Marketing relies on a website with quote-form lead capture, organic social presence (Facebook, Instagram, Yelp), and a 'Sign Stories' case-study library. The company self-identifies as award-winning with work featured in national sign industry publications. Revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Monterey Signs

Legal name

Monterey Signs

Website

https://montereysigns.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Monterey Signs is a family-owned, full-service sign shop in Seaside, California that designs, fabricates, and installs custom commercial, electrical, and printed signage for businesses across Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom Commercial Signage

NAICS

Sign Manufacturing (33995), Sign Manufacturing (339950), Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (54185)

akta.pro primary industry

Wayfinding, Signage & Environmental Graphic Design (BPAHAKAN)

Keywords

• Custom sign fabrication
• Vehicle wrap printing
• ADA compliant signage
• Wide format printing
• Electrical sign manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Seaside

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Custom Sign Fabrication and Installation: One-time project-based revenue from designing, fabricating, and installing custom signs. Revenue varies by project complexity, materials used, and whether permits are required. Includes ADA signs, monument signs, electrical signs, dimensional letters, and specialty signs.
2. Graphic Design Services: Logo design and sign/graphic design services billed at $75 per hour with a 2-hour minimum. Average project cost approximately $400.
3. Printed Signage Products: Banners, vehicle wraps, building graphics, and other printed signage products sold as individual items or project packages.
4. Permit Procurement Services: Project management and permit procurement services included as part of full-service sign projects, working closely with local governments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Monterey Signs is a licensed full-service custom sign shop that designs, fabricates, and installs commercial, electrical, and printed signage for businesses. Offerings span sandblasted/routed signs (cedar, redwood, HDU), ADA-compliant signage, illuminated channel letters, neon, and LED signage, banners, vehicle wraps, building/window graphics, monument signs, dimensional letters, and digital signage systems, supported by in-house graphic design, permit procurement, project management, and installation services.

Product overview

Monterey Signs is a full-service sign shop offering a comprehensive portfolio of custom signage products and services. The company operates across four main product categories: Commercial Signs (sandblasted, routed, ADA, and metal signs), Electrical Signs (channel letters, neon, halo-lit, and LED illuminated signage), and Printed Signage (banners, vehicle wraps, and digital graphics). The product portfolio spans 20+ distinct offerings including ADA Signs, Banners, Blade Signs, Building Graphics, Custom Signs, Digital Graphics, Digital Signage, Dimensional Letters, Event Signage, Monument Signs, Sandblasted/Routed Signs, Vehicle Graphics, and Window Graphics. These products are supported by professional services including Sign and Graphic Design, Logo Design, Installation, Permits, Printing/Production, and Project Management. The company is a licensed sign contractor (License 965016) serving Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties in California, with operations dating back to 2008.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commercial Signs Commercial signage including sandblasted signs, routed signs, ADA signs, and metal signs for business exteriors.
• Electrical Signs Illuminated signage products including channel letters, neon signs, reverse pan channel halo-lit letters, light box signs, and LED signage for commercial exteriors.
• Printed Signage Printed signage products including banners, vehicle wraps, and graphics produced via wide-format inkjet printing.
• ADA Signs ADA and Braille signs conforming to California code requirements for identifying rooms and public spaces, with specific dimensions, textures, fonts, materials, and accessibility standards.
• Banners Full color printed banners including real estate marketing banners, tradeshow graphics, corporate and retail banners, special event banners, portable banner stands, and pole bracket banners.
• Blade Signs Signs mounted perpendicular to buildings using steel brackets, also known as fin signs, made from wood, acrylic, or HDU materials.
• Building Graphics Digitally printed full color graphics applied to exterior walls including brick, concrete, block, and stucco surfaces using adhesive vinyl film.
• Custom Signs Custom signage including A-frame sandwich board signs in multiple sizes, aluminum signs, ACP aluminum composite panel signs, MDO plywood signs, PVC, and coroplast signs.
• Digital Graphics Full color digital prints for applications including vehicle wraps, wall murals, floor graphics, window shades, and trade show exhibits produced on wide-format inkjet printers.
• Digital Signage Dynamic digital signage systems using commercial monitors, media players, software, and cabling for menu boards, wayfinding, retail advertising, information kiosks, and interactive displays with touch screen capabilities.
• Dimensional Letters Individual architectural letters and logo elements made from solid metal, solid plastic, formed plastic, or metal laminated to plastic for exterior building attachment with lifetime warranty.
• Event Signage Event-specific signage produced on wide-format inkjet printers including posters, banners, freestanding displays, and last-minute production capabilities.
• Monument Signs Durable exterior monument signs including community and corporate entrance signs, outdoor metal and plastic letters, and illuminated exterior signage with complete design, permits, fabrication, and installation services.
• Sandblasted / Routed Signs Hand-carved and sandblasted dimensional signs crafted from kiln-dried cedar, redwood, and HDU high density urethane materials designed for outdoor durability and aesthetic appeal.
• Vehicle Graphics Vehicle wraps, full vinyl lettering, and partial graphics for automobiles and fleets, including measurement, design, and professional installation services.
• Window Graphics Window graphics including full color digital prints on opaque or perforated window vinyl, opaque solid color vinyl films, frosted glass and etched glass vinyl films, and metallic vinyl films.
• Logo Design Custom logo design service priced at $75 per hour with a two-hour minimum, averaging $400 per project, creating logos that communicate business identity and professionalism.
• Sign and Graphic Design Professional sign design and graphic design services for creating signage programs, ADA sign systems, vehicle wraps, and branded visual identities across all sign types.
• Installation Professional sign installation services including third-party installation coordination for projects requiring specialized deployment.
• Permits Permit procurement services including navigation of local government approvals and architectural review board presentations to secure sign permits.
• Printing / Production In-house sign fabrication and production capabilities including sandblasting, routing, electrical sign assembly, and wide-format digital printing.
• Project Management Comprehensive project management for large or complicated signage projects, coordinating between design, fabrication, permits, and installation phases.

Quantifiable outcome

• 200+ signs installed within 30 days for Cushman & Wakefield rebranding project
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 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

One partnership is on record.

• Sleepless MediaminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWeb design partner responsible for the company's website design. Listed in copyright footer as web design provider.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• National Signs: National sign company providing design, fabrication, and installation of commercial signage for retail, hospitality, and enterprise customers. Comparable in full-service sign capabilities but operating at a broader geographic footprint than Monterey Signs.
• Allen Industries: National sign and architectural graphics company serving enterprise customers with custom signage programs across multiple locations. Comparable to Monterey Signs' multi-site enterprise project capability (e.g., Cushman & Wakefield rebranding), but at a national scale.
• YESCO (Young Electric Sign Company): One of the largest sign manufacturers in North America, specializing in large-scale electrical and illuminated signage for casinos, retail, and enterprise customers. Overlaps with Monterey Signs' electrical sign capabilities but operates at a much larger scale and serves national accounts.
• VistaPrint: Mass-market online printing and signage provider offering business cards, banners, signs, and promotional products. Adjacent competitor in the printed signage segment, putting pricing pressure on standard printed products like banners and basic signs.

Regional players

• Sign Craft Industries: Regional commercial sign manufacturer serving the Western U.S. with custom fabrication, electrical signs, and installation services. Comparable in product mix and project-based commercial model, though based in a different geographic region than Monterey Signs.

Emerging players

• Watchfire Signs: Manufacturer of digital LED signs and electronic message centers for businesses and organizations. Comparable in the digital signage product category that Monterey Signs has started to offer, though Watchfire is a hardware manufacturer rather than a full-service sign shop.
• Signs.com: Online custom sign retailer offering banners, yard signs, vehicle wraps, and decors with self-service ordering and shipping. Represents the digital/online competitive vector that smaller regional sign shops like Monterey Signs face on simpler, standardized products.

Direct peers

• Image360: Sign and graphics franchise network offering design, printing, and installation of custom signs, vehicle wraps, and displays. Highly comparable to Monterey Signs in service scope and business customer focus, with similar turnkey project execution.
• Signarama: Global franchise sign company providing custom signage, banners, vehicle wraps, and digital displays to small and mid-sized businesses. Directly comparable in that both serve local commercial customers with project-based custom sign work, though distributed through a franchise model.
• FASTSIGNS: The largest franchised sign and graphics company in North America, offering custom signs, banners, vehicle wraps, and digital signage through hundreds of locations. Directly comparable to Monterey Signs in product mix and target customer base, though FASTSIGNS operates at significantly greater scale and brand recognition.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/montereysigns
• Instagraminstagram.com/santacruzandmontereysigns

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

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 Monterey Signs