Profile: Bob Bjorkquist

For Bob, doing garment printing while working his way through college was his doorway to the sign business. He went on to apprentice as a sign painter. Working in sign shops taught him most aspects of sign making, and he went on to learn neon bending. He launched Bob’s Signs in 1984, creating a diverse graphics business that’s still growing.

Signs and more: We’re getting ready to break ground on a 3000-sq.-ft. shop. We’ll finally have enough room—or at least I think so! [Laughing.] Right now the sign shop is in a 30-by-40-ft. building, and I have multiple outbuildings on the property where we do the engraving and embroidery work. It’s two acres that we’ve taken to calling “The Compound”.

There’s a lot going in our area right now—wineries, schools and lots of tourist-related businesses. These are businesses that want unique custom signs so we get into some fun projects.