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YESCO, a Leader in the Electric Sign and Lighting Industry, Expands Through Franchising


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Guys - I applaud your comments and opinions - but drive down the street in your towns and tell me how many big name fast food places there are - most are franchises.

While a lot of people on this site are independent and like running their own companies "their way" - the reason why it will probably work for YESCO is because they are very successful and have a recipe that works. So essentially and metaphorically - "a lot of people while drive thru their restaurant". People like something familiar and if YESCO spends the right amount of time and money they can become the household name.

Please remember that YESCO is the company that builds a large share of the digital billboards on USA highways - dont you think they are very well positioned to become a name people recognize by being an advertisement on the signs they rent to end billboard/advertising companies????

Or think for a minute on how you would compete with a YESCO sign company down the street from your shop that has material pricing that is about 30-50% less than yours? Do not forget folks that N Glantz and YESCO are very very close. N Glantz has offices in YESCO buildings in Las Vegas! So if YESCO extends their low pricing agreements they have with N Glantz to their franchises - wouldnt that be interesting?

Big companies, or the largest ones in their sectors, have a lot of leverage and can move in like a Walmart and give smaller business a lot to worry about.

Just because you dont like it does not mean it is not going to be something that doesnt work.

I always use the analogy - the world was once flat, but boy did someone change our minds.

I applaud YESCO for doing this... and having seen some of the service systems they have in place, my bet (and I live in Las Vegas and do not gamble) is that they will win...

Agreed........... YESCO is equivalent to the modern day cure for polio. They are wonderful, great and deserve all the accolades thay receive. They are innovative, cutting edge and all that. They will most assuredly become the Walmart of the sign industry....... but my point is that i as a businessman and contractor have no desire to become a franchisee........ PERIOD. I wish them all the success and anyone who decides the path they choose is to hitch their wagon to the Kings of Vegas..... Again, I have no interest.

Alpha Mike Foxtrot

Dominic

"Don't be afraid to see what you see" - President Ronald Reagan

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I Could frankly give a rip but comparing a fast food franchise to a sign francise is like comparing apples and toyota. Fast food is the perfect franchise. They employ unskilled cheap labor that has huge turn over. They make the same thing every day. I also think most of the biggies are corporate stores not franchise. Look at a quiznos or Jimmy Johns that would take up the same space in the same strip mall. If I had my choice I would take the Quiznos. I dont see many Fast food franchises going out of business either.

I would also bet that in the case of a good number of sign products the could buy it from a local fabricator or a cheaper source than Yesco when you factor in shipping.

I will say that I was fortunate to get a tour of Yesco Vegas and was impressed and overwhelmed. If ever a shop had its shit together they are it. I dont think you could take the manpower and equipment from all the big shops in St. Louis combined and equal the operation they have. 10 Years ago they were even making circuit boards in house.

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I Could frankly give a rip but comparing a fast food franchise to a sign francise is like comparing apples and toyota. Fast food is the perfect franchise. They employ unskilled cheap labor that has huge turn over. They make the same thing every day. I also think most of the biggies are corporate stores not franchise. Look at a quiznos or Jimmy Johns that would take up the same space in the same strip mall. If I had my choice I would take the Quiznos. I dont see many Fast food franchises going out of business either.

I would also bet that in the case of a good number of sign products the could buy it from a local fabricator or a cheaper source than Yesco when you factor in shipping.

I will say that I was fortunate to get a tour of Yesco Vegas and was impressed and overwhelmed. If ever a shop had its shit together they are it. I dont think you could take the manpower and equipment from all the big shops in St. Louis combined and equal the operation they have. 10 Years ago they were even making circuit boards in house.

Their shop in Logan Utah is even more impressive - except the circuit boards they make are 48 feet wide by 14 feet tall!!!

Apples...or maybe Apple Computer and Toyota do have a similar model - if you saw the Toyota dealership in Paris France you would think you just walked into an Apple Store. Take a step back and look. Sorry, if I provide odd analogies, just my years of management consulting I have done trying to get people to think of things differently to gain a new and competitive vantage point.

And for those that know me on this board - if I started talking about a Rubik Cube - you would probably all remember how the surface area of cube in tact is much less than if you broke it into its smaller pieces... and the more surface area you have the more light you have coming out... So Rubik Cubes and LED lighting... odd analogies.

Edited by Manuel Lynch
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Yes you are right... but you know the background as well headbang.gif

I dont like Walmart - but it does not mean it is not a name that a majority of Americans know. In the USA we dont allocate enough time for "Custom and Quality" anymore. With limited time to spend on things we all find ourselves at a Walmart.

Reality is tough pill to swallow.

And - as companies change gears to adjust to market needs - it is amazing how streamlined the overhead model goes.

Reality is a tough pill to swallow for sure.

It seems that most American's don't fully understand the 'Walmart effect' and the role it plays in our economy.

Walmart is one of the largest contributors to the loss of American jobs and the decline in wages.

In my opinion the sign industry definitely doesn't need a 'Walmart'.

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Guest Signtiffic

Well well well..... This conversation has evolved into a good debate.

The known advantages have been stated pretty well and the ostensible risk/downside is gaining my attention. Personally, I wouldn't put my money up to buy in. I would entertain Yesco footing all of the bill..... they've more than enough money lying around.

Let's take a look backwards, as Yesco probably has already done. 10 years ago they have a considerably more locations/branches than they do now. While I don't know exactly how they structured each profit center, I would assume since they've just released the news about franchise opportunities that the old locations we're owned and operated by them.

Being that hindsight is 20/20...

-Is it possible this franchise strategy mitigates financial risk should a location(s) fail or market conditions change?

(Afterall, all that money and clout was not gathered by being philanthropists)

-Does anyone know the real reasons why they scaled back so many locations some short time ago?

-Other large facility companies extend thier distributor and supplier pricing to their sub-contractor network...Is it Yescos ego which prevents them from doing this as well?

(Afterall, if the Nglantz relationship is that strong, this is the shortest path between A and B to becoming a national powerhouse in maintenance.)

Another opinion of mine.... Drinking the Yesco koolaid means you would spell it YESCO. There is nothing wrong with their koolaid.... I sincerely mean taht.. quod erat demonstrandum through my previous posts. However, this organization has a long history of hirring yes men. Not necessarily innovators. True success is empowering your team, not puppeting them and while a franchise opportunity removes some of the string pullers from the local picture it does not necessarily insure a cohesive brand strategy. Like I said, there is nothing wrong with their koolaid.... but watered down koolaid taste like shit.

While not as popular as the other phonetic.. this shouldn't be to hard to decipher.... Kilo Mike Alpha

Jack Smack

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Guest Signtiffic
except the circuit boards they make are 48 feet wide by 14 feet tall!!!

Bullshit...it's modules just like anyone else.

Walmart is one of the largest contributors to the loss of American jobs and the decline in wages.

Somewhat true somewhat false. Walmart doesn't exist in a vaccuum. They exist in an economy and they began with a motto of never selling things made outside the US which once they realized how much money they were leaving on the table changed that strategy. I think one thing Walmart is good for is possible running certain aspects of our government's financial affairs.... at least the Post Office would have a chance to profit instead of tank....repeatedly.....

They have their role in the demise of small town business but you can't rely soley on a michael moore or other brainiac documentary. Again, nothing exists in a vaccuum.

And - as companies change gears to adjust to market needs - it is amazing how streamlined the overhead model goes.

Yes and no... to what extent is implementation of a streamlined model is feasible? Again, shouldn't streamlined imply taking the most efficient and shortest quality path from A to B?

Just some more opinions.....

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I guess i am a bit confused as to what these franchises will do? are they actually going to be smaller versions of the yesco facilities? manufacturing and servicing signs?

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Guest Signtiffic

From what the press release implies, yes.

...

YESCO franchises will be available in areas not currently served by YESCO, giving those businesses outside the YESCO footprint access to tried and true sign services. To maintain the quality and friendly service YESCO customers expect, owning and operating a YESCO franchise is an exclusive opportunity, awarded to individuals with a proven track record of great customer service, dependable quality and uncompromising integrity. But the opportunity to own and operate a YESCO franchise is not limited to people with a background in the sign industry. We are also looking for individuals with experience in business and an interest in entrepreneurship. Investors with or without sign experience will be attracted to YESCO's proven business model. Existing sign companies wanting to join YESCO's team will benefit from YESCO's size, pricing and reputation.

In addition to being a part of the nationally known and respected YESCO brand, YESCO franchisees will be given the tools and training required to run a successful sign service business. Training courses will be offered to ensure that franchisees know the YESCO system and can implement it in their territory. Franchisees will also have access to customers included in the YESCO National Accounts program, a network of national retailers. Franchisees will tap into YESCO's buying power, which will allow them to purchase parts and supplies at prices well below those offered to others. This buying power gives YESCO franchisees significant advantages when bidding for energy-efficient retrofit lighting projects. Franchisees will also enjoy the use of YESCO's proprietary software solutions which have been exclusively designed and engineered for the sign and lighting service business.

...

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While not as popular as the other phonetic.. this shouldn't be to hard to decipher.... Kilo Mike Alpha

Jack Smack

I knew you would get it Big Dog! Alpha Mike Foxtrot is popular with some Harrier pilots.......... they end many transmissions this way.

I get the Kilo Mike Alpha line but I want to add that Yesco will make all the franchisee stuff work by PFM. And hopefully will encounter no SNAFU's along the way.

Like I said, best of luck to Yesco with the venture and hopefully it will work out with precision. I will stand back and watch it unfold with interest.....But I just won't be the guy who gets involved.

And for the record and off subject, I also do not now, have never in the past and anticipate in the future never shopping at Walmart. The reason is...............

They are the largest buyer of crap from China. China sells arms, munitions and other parts necessary for waging war around the world in many hotspots. China specifically sells somes arms and parts to Iran. Iran is on the enemy of the USA list. China has agreements with the USA that they won't do this but they ship the parts to Hong Kong. The parts are moved to an intermediary who has no agreements with the USA and they freight forward the stuff to Iran. Iran takes what it needs and then funnels the stuff to Iraq via clandestine methods and then it gets funneled to Afghanistan via those same clandestine methods and ultimately winds up killing human beings. Unfortunately some of those human beings who get killed happen to serve in the armed forces of the USA. This game goes on but you don't hear about it in the news.

So part of every dollar that is spent in Walmart goes towards the death of American military but we close our eyes and pretend it doesn't happen. So in summary, I have never shopped there, I don't shop there now and I refuse to shop there in the future. Until an M-16, AK-47 or the like is pointed at me and I am told I will shop at Walmart..........It ain't going to happen. In fact, I would rather have the trigger pulled than set foot in Walmart. I believe "A warrior dies once, a coward dies a thousand times".

And I would like to make this perfectly clear, I am not equating Walmart to YESCO........... not in any respect. I am just responding to someone who was comparing the two entities. I would never "Bitch Slap" YESCCO by comparing them to that bastion of patriotism......Walmart. Lets keep this point very clear....................

Dominic

"Don't be afraid to see what you see" - President Ronald Reagan

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YESCO is a great shop. We occasionaly do work for them. I would not be interested in a franchise. This is a way to expand YESCO's customer base and bottom line. With the margins we're forced to deal with at this time. Who would want to pay 4-8% in franchise fees? Not to mention the upfront franchise fee. It's a win-win for YESCO. They expand their business, while the franchisee pays YESCO for the name. I agree with other post's concearning liscening and skill sets acquired through time in the business.

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  • !llumenati

I think it is a good idea/move for YESCO.

They can expand their service facilities to places where their manufacturing is not near like they do on the West Coast and control the manufacturing from one location and ship finished product there for smaller retail jobs and have local storage and installation for corperate work all controled by HQ in Salt Lake. By franchising they have their name out there and are not the property owners ( less financial liabilities and costs) for the shop but can dictate to a certain degree about what and how things are done.

GOOD things happen for a reason......

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Knowing what I do of YESCO, I know they will have STRINGENT pre qualifications before you can buy into the franchise.

They are a family owned business and the Young family would not even consider this type of expansion if it tarnished their name/image in the industry.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Sign company seeks national welcome

By Jennifer Robison

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

Posted: Jun. 10, 2011 | 2:02 a.m.

The company behind the Strip's neon lights is going national.

Utah-based Young Electric Sign Co. is franchising its service and repair business to grow beyond the 14 Western and Southwestern states it already serves. Since it began awarding franchises in April, YESCO has granted two franchises in Michigan and is negotiating with about a dozen other prospects.

"We want to continue to expand our service footprint. We have a good service-based model," said Josh Young, YESCO's vice president and general manager. "It's very franchisable, and it could provide some great opportunities for people who aren't currently employees."

YESCO is headquartered in Salt Lake City, but the 91-year-old manufacturing and repair company is a Las Vegas institution.

Its local managers estimate the company owns 60 percent of the sign manufacturing and service market in Las Vegas. It installed the first of the city's "neon spectaculars" -- large-scale signs with special effects and brilliant colors -- at the Boulder Club in downtown Las Vegas in 1945. The company created famous signs for the Stardust, the Golden Nugget and the Fremont Street Experience. YESCO's founder, Thomas Young Sr., made it into the Review-Journal's "The First 100" series, which chronicled the 100 people with the biggest impact on Las Vegas' first century.

"We would be a completely different company if we hadn't been in Las Vegas. Everything is bigger, better, faster and more impressive," Young said. "It demands better expertise and technology. It's caused YESCO to be more innovative and to look for new technologies to apply to signs, and that's had a ripple effect across all of our offices."

With a decades-long lock on sign manufacturing in Las Vegas and across the West, YESCO decided 11 years ago to boost the service side of its business. Sign repair provided a relatively small share of YESCO's sales and had bigger growth potential than manufacturing. Service would also hold up better than manufacturing in a business downturn: Even if new construction slowed and hurt demand for signs, existing business parks and shopping malls would always need sign-repair services.

So the company added service managers and technicians and brought on salespeople to market its repair business. Beefing up its service operation led to double-digit revenue growth for YESCO from 2000 to 2010, Young said.

Expanding the service business beyond the West, where YESCO has 42 offices and 1,500 employees, calls for a different development model.

"We've got our hands full growing in the existing areas we're in," Young said. "Taking on additional territories outside the Western United States is just too much for the company to be able to do financially and feasibly. It would just overwhelm us."

Enter franchising, a more affordable way to expand.

By partnering with business owners in other markets, YESCO could launch operations without startup hassles such as finding office space and buying trucks.

Opening a YESCO franchise costs $66,500 to $191,000, including the franchise fee, equipment purchases and other startup expenses. Existing sign companies will shell out less to get going because they already own or lease offices and trucks, Young said.

YESCO's plan could work, said Jerry Cole, a franchise consultant in Newport Beach, Calif., who's worked with franchises ranging from disaster-cleanup companies to health magazines.

"Their concept is unique. I've never heard of that niche (sign repair)," said Cole, who also helped establish franchising operations for Coldwell Banker Residential Affiliates and Prudential Real Estate Affiliates. "It might be a good thing that no one else has done it. I don't see any reason why it shouldn't make it."

Cole said YESCO also has a "very low opening cost" compared with other franchises, and that should aid in its expansion.

Young said he expects to award two to three more franchises before the month is up, and he'd like to award 20 by the end of 2011. He said he's not sure how many franchises the company will ultimately award, because territories can shrink or expand.

You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life. - Winston Churchill

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  • 1 month later...

Yesco to open first franchisee in Michigan with weeks training just completed

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life. - Winston Churchill

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Josh Young is very focused on making this successful - I do not doubt his intentions - when they focus on something, they get it.

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Franchise goes to Paul Deters of Detroit Michigan, seasoned sign shop of formerly "Metro Detroit Signs"

Now that's a tough area!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life. - Winston Churchill

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  • 3 months later...

Hey, everybody.

To be honest, it's quite flattering that such strong opinions, thoughts, and ideas are being expressed about our most recent venture of franchising throughout the country. What a great time to be involved in a fantastic industry.

The idea has been in the works since Thomas Young Jr. suggested we franchise 30 years ago. We started to think more seriously about it in recent years, however, and have been honing and refining the business model in our 37 or so corporately owned locations.

As some of you have stated, there are obvious concerns to starting a franchise as well as concerns with joining one. Trust me when I say that each of these things that were mentioned have been thought out, debated heartily, and worked through in every case. We do take our image very seriously and will NEVER sacrifice our integrity to affect the bottom-line.

So far, we have already sold 7 different franchise territories and are looking to have another 5 on board by the end of November. Each of these franchise owners is put through a rigorous selection process and have to meet certain requirements in order to be entered into the runnings for a specific territory. If you call any of our current franchise owners (and I would be happy to provide you with their numbers), you will find good, honest, knowledgeable sign people on the other end of the phone. They will have the proper licensing, equipment, and training to perform sign and lighting service and repair at top-notch levels that meet the most stringent of customer criteria.

Anyway, thanks again for your discussions as we really appreciate feedback. As one member said, Josh Young is fully dedicated to making this succeed at the highest possible level. If you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to call us at any time. Our number is (801)464-4600. You can even talk to Josh Young directly, although any of us in Franchising will be happy to assist you in any way we can.

Have a great day.

YESCO Franchising

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  • 11 months later...

As you all may or may not know - I joined YESCO.

I am the General Manager of the Outdoor Interactive LCD group.

There is a video that explains the YESCO Franchise concept - and it is working as more and more companies are joining

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