By signcraft
Posted on Sunday, October 12th, 2025
Fifty years ago, David Showalter got his start in sign painting. In the years that followed, David painted signs in and around his hometown of Bryan, Ohio. His work first appeared in the May/June 1985 issue of SignCraft and has many times since.
As computers moved into the sign business, David added cut vinyl and digital printing to his list of services. He’s watched the sign business change over the years, and his business evolved with it. At the same time, he believes that some things haven’t changed. He believes creative sign people can still develop a market for their work in the business he has enjoyed for nearly five decades.
“I think there is still a market for a quality commercial sign shop in a small town like mine,” he says. “Local businesses still like to do business with a local business. And many people appreciate quality and good design. Not everyone, of course, but enough to support a sign maker who does good-looking, effective signs.”
You’ll find a dozen solid tips on how you can build a sign business that lasts five decades in “How to succeed in the sign business for 47 years (or longer)” along with photos of his great-looking work.
