Barnes Advertising

What Barnes Advertising does

Barnes Advertising Corp. is a fifth-generation family-owned outdoor advertising company headquartered in Zanesville, Ohio, operating since 1916. The company operates 596 billboard faces across 15 Ohio counties within a 100-mile radius of Zanesville, offering both traditional static billboards and digital billboards with rotating displays (8-second minimum rotation, 30+ spots per hour). Digital inventory is currently available in three counties (Licking, Muskingum, and Tuscarawas), with real-time data streaming and social media content integration capabilities. The product portfolio includes free in-house creative design services bundled with billboard contracts, with creative changes available every 60 days at no additional cost.

The company generates revenue through two primary streams: subscription/recurring billing for billboard rental (traditional and digital) and one-time project fees for the in-house Sign Shop division, which designs, produces, and installs custom signs including wall/vehicle/window graphics, business signs with channel letters, HDU foam signs, banners, magnets, and ADA-compliant interior signage. Online invoice payments incur a $0.30 plus 3% processing fee. The go-to-market model is sales-led through account executives who work directly with local and regional SMBs, supplemented by chamber of commerce partnerships and community engagement. Customer acquisition relies on phone contact, online message forms, referrals, and a multi-channel presence including company website, TikTok, Facebook, and Google reviews.

The business is privately held with no external investors, funding rounds, or parent company. Leadership comprises fourth-generation family members Maryjane Shackelford (President) and John Barnes (Vice President), with fifth-generation family members currently being trained in operations. The company holds memberships in OAAA, OAAO, IBO, NFIB, and multiple regional chambers of commerce, and participates in community outreach programs supporting local nonprofits.

Name

Barnes Advertising

Legal name

Barnes Advertising Corp.

Website

https://barnesadvertisingcorp.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1916

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Barnes Advertising is a fifth-generation family-owned outdoor advertising company in Zanesville, Ohio, operating 596 billboard faces across 15 Ohio counties with traditional and digital displays, plus a full-service sign shop for custom design, production, and installation serving local SMBs in southeastern Ohio.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Advertising

NAICS

Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (54185), Sign Manufacturing (339950), Advertising Agencies (54181)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Static Billboard Advertising (MPAAAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wayfinding, Signage & Environmental Graphic Design (BPAHAKAN), Large-Format / Spectacular OOH (Building Wraps, Digital Spectaculars) (MPAAAKAF)

Keywords

• Outdoor advertising
• Billboard advertising
• Digital billboards
• Custom signage
• Sign manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Zanesville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Traditional Billboard Advertising: Rental of traditional/static billboard space for long-term branding campaigns. Billing cycles vary by market (1st, 5th, 10th, 15th, or 20th of month). Available in 15 Ohio counties.
2. Digital Billboard Advertising: Rental of digital billboard space with flexible scheduling options (7am-7pm, 7pm-7am, or 24 hours). Can be purchased by the week with ability to change creative without production cost.
3. Sign Shop Products and Services: Design, print, and installation of custom signs including wall/vehicle/window graphics, business signs, channel letters, HDU foam signs, banners, magnets, political and yard signs, ADA compliant signs. Additional products include awnings, ACM panels, PVC signs, street signs, and sign frames.
4. Online Payment Processing: Online invoice payment processing with $0.30 per transaction plus 3% processing fee.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Barnes Advertising rents outdoor advertising space on a network of 596 traditional billboard faces across 15 Ohio counties within a 100-mile radius of Zanesville, and operates digital billboards in Licking, Muskingum, and Tuscarawas counties that allow weekly creative changes with no production charge. The company also runs a Sign Shop that designs, produces, and installs custom signage including wall/vehicle/window graphics, business signs and channel letters, HDU foam signs, banners, magnets, political and yard signs, and ADA-compliant interior wayfinding signs, supported by a free in-house creative design service.

Product overview

Barnes Advertising offers outdoor advertising services centered on two core products: Traditional Billboards (static printed displays) and Digital Billboards (electronic rotating displays). The company operates across 15 Ohio counties with 596 billboard faces, serving a 100-mile radius of Zanesville, Ohio. Complementing the billboard advertising is a Sign Shop offering custom sign manufacturing and installation services including wall/vehicle/window graphics, business signs with channel letters, custom HDU foam signs, banners/magnets/political/yard signs, and ADA compliant interior signage. The product portfolio consists of a unified advertising platform supported by an integrated sign shop manufacturing division.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Traditional Billboards

Quantifiable outcome

• Creative changes available every 60 days at no additional cost
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• OAAA (Outdoor Advertising Association of America)minorOthersIndustry association membership providing standards, best practices, and advocacy for outdoor advertising industry.
• OAAO (Ohio Outdoor Advertising Association)minorOthersState-level industry association representing outdoor advertising companies in Ohio.
• IBO (International Billboard Owners)minorOthersInternational trade organization for billboard operators.
• NFIB (National Federation of Independent Business)minorOthersAdvocacy organization for small and independent businesses.
• Zanesville-Muskingum County Chamber of CommercecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal chamber of commerce membership supporting community business network in the primary operating region.
• Tuscarawas County Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal chamber membership in digital billboard service area county.
• Perry County Ohio Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal chamber membership supporting billboard service region.
• Licking County Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal chamber membership in digital billboard service area county.
• Knox County Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal chamber membership supporting billboard service region.
• Athens Area Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal chamber membership supporting billboard service region.
• Cambridge Area Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal chamber membership supporting billboard service region.
• International Sign AssociationminorOthersTrade association for the sign industry providing standards and best practices.
• Midwest Sign AssociationminorOthersRegional trade association for sign manufacturers and companies.
• Central Ohio Sign AssociationminorOthersRegional trade association for sign industry in central Ohio.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of ZanesvilleminorOthersCommunity nonprofit supported through Barnes Advertising giving back program.
• Rotary InternationalminorOthersService organization supported through Barnes Advertising community outreach.
• Forever DadsminorOthersLocal nonprofit organization supported through Barnes Advertising community donations.
• Boys & Girls Club of NewarkminorOthersYouth development nonprofit supported through Barnes Advertising community program.
• Women of AchievementminorOthersLocal women's organization supported through Barnes Advertising community outreach.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Daktronics: Manufacturer of large-format LED displays including those used for digital billboards. Adjacent peer as a key technology supplier for digital outdoor advertising operators like Barnes.

Broad incumbents

• OUTFRONT Media: Major U.S. out-of-home media company with a large billboard portfolio and growing digital footprint. Overlaps directly with Barnes on static and digital billboard inventory, though at a national scale with sophisticated programmatic and analytics offerings.
• Lamar Advertising Company: Largest U.S. operator of outdoor advertising including billboards, transit, and digital displays. Directly comparable product set (traditional and digital billboards) but operates nationally with programmatic buying capability rather than as a regional family operator.

Direct peers

• YESCO (Young Electric Sign Company): Large sign manufacturing and installation company producing channel letters, monument signs, and custom commercial signage. Directly comparable to Barnes's sign shop offering, including design, fabrication, and installation services.
• Watchfire Signs: Manufacturer and operator of digital billboards and on-premise digital signage. Comparable on the digital billboard technology side and supplies similar LED display equipment that Barnes uses for its rotating digital boards.
• Fairway Outdoor Advertising: Regional outdoor advertising operator serving the Southeast and Midwest with static and digital billboards. Comparable to Barnes in scale, regional focus, and customer base of local SMBs and regional brands.
• Adams Outdoor Advertising: Regional outdoor advertising company operating billboards across the Midwest and Southeast. Closely comparable in operating model — regional, mid-sized outdoor advertising operator with both static and digital inventory — making it the most directly comparable peer.
• Burkhart Advertising: Regional outdoor advertising and sign company serving Indiana and surrounding states. Overlaps with Barnes on both billboard leasing and full-service sign manufacturing/installation.

Regional players

• Cunningham Outdoor Advertising: Family-owned regional outdoor advertising operator in the Mid-Atlantic. Closely matches Barnes's family-owned, regional, sales-led operating model even though its geography does not directly overlap.

Emerging players

• Blip Billboards: Digital billboard advertising marketplace that aggregates fragmented local billboard operators onto a single programmatic platform. A potential partnership counterpart (and indirect competitor) that could route incremental demand to Barnes's digital inventory.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/barnesadvertisingcorp
• TikToktiktok.com/@barnesadvertisingcorp
• Xx.com/barnesadv
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/barnes-advertising

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Barnes Advertising