General Sign ???? WTF

[UFB Fabrication]

I have heard from 3 shops that General Sign in Missouri has closed it doors as of last friday. They may have been the largest shop in the state. What the heck happened ?????? I am also wondering if admiral is closed as well ?

[fishing nut]

I have heard from 3 shops that General Sign in Missouri has closed it doors as of last friday. They may have been the largest shop in the state. What the heck happened ?????? I am also wondering if admiral is closed as well ?

Did you call them?

[UFB Fabrication]

I looked a a article in the local paper and they report the same thing closed on friday. That sucks, they have been around a long time. Feel bad for the folks out of work.

[Erik Sine]

Guess this explains the bounce back from newsletters coming back to me

[David-BYS]

The story we heard was 'prices were too high.' Given the prices we were competing against from General, I find that tough to believe. I think a portion of that is the fact that they took pride on producing in-house. The market is just moving away from that. I was joking with a national vendor last week that there is a big corporation here in St Louis that found a StL design firm to design interior signage, they sourced it to a Michigan firm for production, who then found me ... back here is StL ... to install it. Before email & digital photos, this would have been an all StL job. Times change. When the economy finally bounces, StL will be in need of some manufacturing capacity. Your benefit, Steve.

[tmccloud@surelightsign]

The story we heard was 'prices were too high.' Given the prices we were competing against from General, I find that tough to believe. I think a portion of that is the fact that they took pride on producing in-house. The market is just moving away from that. I was joking with a national vendor last week that there is a big corporation here in St Louis that found a StL design firm to design interior signage, they sourced it to a Michigan firm for production, who then found me ... back here is StL ... to install it. Before email & digital photos, this would have been an all StL job. Times change. When the economy finally bounces, StL will be in need of some manufacturing capacity. Your benefit, Steve.

[tmccloud@surelightsign]

It is unfortunate that so many good companies have fallen as a result of these trying times. We have seen several small companies in Chicago fall victim as well. If you find yourself in need of capcacity for St Louis projects, do not hesitate to give us a call. Freight from Chicago is minimal and we have full custom capabilities. We would be happy to help.

[Sign Lady]

I really hate to hear this. There were some great folks at General. There are some great folks in this area falling to the same fate. If we have a double dip recession like they are talking about even more will go out that way, sad to say. We all need to pull together as a community and help each other as much as we can. I know at the end of the day we are all competitors, but if we band together hopefully we can come through on the other side stronger.

[Sign Lady]

I just called General Sign and someone answered the phone. Do I have the wrong General Sign?

[UFB Fabrication]

I just called General Sign and someone answered the phone. Do I have the wrong General Sign?

I talked to a customer last friday and he said as well as a few news stories that the employees were locked out at the plant in Cape. He also said the people that work for General are out scrambling for a job and is already getting resumes. Best I can tell that the employees did not see it coming. I hope that vendors and others are not going to be left hanging.

As for upcoming work we are expanding into our new building (3 times the size of our current shop) and will be happy get some new customers and some more work. I guess the timing was pretty good and will be able to increase production when the time comes. I am happy we only do wholesale fab work as I hear every job has multiple bidders racing to cut each others throat. General may have been competition but I hate to see a decent shop go away.

[Sign Lady]

I just spoke to a nice lady at General Sign. When she answered the phone this morning I just assumed the rumor was not true. Well this time I spoke with her, and she said they are indeed closed. They worked on the 18th and came to work on the 21st just to "close things out". She is just there closing things out. It is horrible a sign company the size of General couldn't make it. Really scary actually.

[gulfcoastblues]

I have heard from 3 shops that General Sign in Missouri has closed it doors as of last friday. They may have been the largest shop in the state. What the heck happened ?????? I am also wondering if admiral is closed as well ?

You are correct about General. Apparently Dolph Orthwein (the owner) abruptly shut the place down and locked it up last week. I've heard that the assets are being sold off and the plant in Cape Girardeau is up for sale.

If you are a sign manufacturer and are looking for property in Missouri, I highly recommend you take a look at that facility. It's one of the few that I'm aware of that was ever built from the ground up SPECIFICALLY for sign production.

[Doug Blair]

After 70 years, General Sign Co. closes its doors

Monday, June 28, 2010

Melissa Miller

EDITOR'S NOTE: The opening date of a business listed in this column has been corrected.

Thirty-one workers employed by General Sign Co. at 4857 Nash Road are now looking for new jobs after the company closed June 18. A few staff remain onsite working to finalize financial accounts.

Wayne Waldon, owner of Idyllic Enterprises, a quarter of a mile up Nash Road from General Sign, visited the facility last week to notify former workers that he has openings for clerical, shipping and sales positions.

Employees of General Sign received two weeks' severance pay.

Company spokesman Clay Otto said the decision to close was made by the company's 94-year-old owner who lives out of state. Otto declined to give the owner's name. However, records filed with the Missouri Secretary of State's office identify Lon J. Maxey as the company's registered agent.

General Sign opened in Cape Girardeau in 1939, according to its website. It manufactured custom outdoor illuminated signs at its Cape Girardeau facility. The company also had a sales office in St. Louis.

[Brian]

Very sad indeed. I love how big government keeps saying the recession is on the way out BULL SHIT! I personally don't see things getting any better for a long time so hang on guys.

[brendasturner]

Very sad indeed. I love how big government keeps saying the recession is on the way out BULL SHIT! I personally don't see things getting any better for a long time so hang on guys.

[brendasturner]

I worked at General Sign Company for ten years. It was owned by Adolphus B. Ortwein who bought it out of bankruptcy from Lon Maxy. Unfortunately there were a lot of great signcrafters and down right good people that built that company to be the largest in the state of Missouri. I left several years ago and soon after several of the key personel left also. Things just seemed to spiral downhill without any onsite leadership from the owners and with more companies closing locations instead of building and opening new stores. I have spoke with Dean in the Admiral Plastics division, he has re-located to Coast to Coast Signs, just down the road from General Sign. Most of the empoyees have secured new positions with other sign companies within the area. I will continue to keep them all in my prayers and hope everyone will find positions. This is a very difficult time for all of us in the sign industry.

[gpitts]

After 70 years, General Sign Co. closes its doors

Monday, June 28, 2010

Melissa Miller

EDITOR'S NOTE: The opening date of a business listed in this column has been corrected.

Thirty-one workers employed by General Sign Co. at 4857 Nash Road are now looking for new jobs after the company closed June 18. A few staff remain onsite working to finalize financial accounts.

Wayne Waldon, owner of Idyllic Enterprises, a quarter of a mile up Nash Road from General Sign, visited the facility last week to notify former workers that he has openings for clerical, shipping and sales positions.

Employees of General Sign received two weeks' severance pay.

Company spokesman Clay Otto said the decision to close was made by the company's 94-year-old owner who lives out of state. Otto declined to give the owner's name. However, records filed with the Missouri Secretary of State's office identify Lon J. Maxey as the company's registered agent.

General Sign opened in Cape Girardeau in 1939, according to its website. It manufactured custom outdoor illuminated signs at its Cape Girardeau facility. The company also had a sales office in St. Louis.

That's odd because back on July 29, 2009 the Sign Syndicate indicated that Lon Maxey, Founder of General Sign in MO died at the age of 90 and now he's alive and 94???

[brendasturner]

After 70 years, General Sign Co. closes its doors

Monday, June 28, 2010

Melissa Miller

EDITOR'S NOTE: The opening date of a business listed in this column has been corrected.

Thirty-one workers employed by General Sign Co. at 4857 Nash Road are now looking for new jobs after the company closed June 18. A few staff remain onsite working to finalize financial accounts.

Wayne Waldon, owner of Idyllic Enterprises, a quarter of a mile up Nash Road from General Sign, visited the facility last week to notify former workers that he has openings for clerical, shipping and sales positions.

Employees of General Sign received two weeks' severance pay.

Company spokesman Clay Otto said the decision to close was made by the company's 94-year-old owner who lives out of state. Otto declined to give the owner's name. However, records filed with the Missouri Secretary of State's office identify Lon J. Maxey as the company's registered agent.

General Sign opened in Cape Girardeau in 1939, according to its website. It manufactured custom outdoor illuminated signs at its Cape Girardeau facility. The company also had a sales office in St. Louis.

[brendasturner]

Wow! that is strange, Mr. Maxey has been dead for several years. The copy of the Secretary of State in 2005 shows Lenn Scheibal to be the President, Cris Orthwein to be the Secretary, and Adophus B. Ortwein to be the Chairman of the Board, and addressed to his oldest son Steve Ortwein? By the way Lenn Scheibal was a great leader and the company prospered while he was there. I worked through three presidents of the company within the ten years I was with General. Mr. Adophus Ortwein was in his eighty's when I was there. The old logo of the General looked just like Mr. Maxey and we were all very sad to see it taken down after his death.

Edited July 20, 2010 by brendasturner

[Michael Ketcherside]

I hear that several local people have been let in to see the equipment, but alas, no word on an auction. If anyone gets official word on an auction, please post. McGill Marketing in Cape Girardeau stands ready to provide competitive quotes as needed to any former General Sign/Admiral customers.