Sign company closes doors, plans auction sale

[Erik Sine]

Sign company closes doors, plans auction sale

By Matt Bewley (Contact) | The Daily Journal

Published Monday, April 9, 2007

Art N Sign co-owners Art Storm and Kristi Floersch will be holding their everything-must-go auction on April 27.

After 14 years in business, “Art N Sign” in Fergus Falls has closed its doors and is preparing to auction off all its equipment, vehicles, land and even the building later this month.

“We officially closed doors on Feb. 28,” co-owner Kristi Floersch said. “The decision to close was hard. We had some absolutely excellent people working here. But we spread the word to help them get jobs, and to know that they all landed in a good spot with good people has made everything easier to go forward.”

Art N Sign had provided commercial graphics and sign work to area merchants and organizations since 1993, co-owned by Art and Karin Storm and E.B. and Kristi Floersch.

Among their more well-known achievements are the Bigwood Event Center logo and Ottertail’s Thumper Pond’s sign.

“It was time to be done,” she said. “There’s a time when you grow and a time when you flatten out. We had clients all over Minnesota and the Dakotas, and have had a business alliance with Cook Sign, out of Fargo. We were able to transfer a lot of our clients and employees to them and also to Daryl Olson at Signworks.”

At 10 a.m. Friday, April 27, Art N Sign goes up for auction — lock, stock and barrel.

“We have lots of hand tools, a sign truck with a 1995 50-foot boom reach and welder generator,” she said. “We’ll auction off the old Skyhook crane truck. On that one, the boom could be taken off. It works fine — it’s been inspected — it’s just hard to find anyone who can operate that old crane.”

Also on the block will be nine offices worth of equipment, including Dell computers, printers, filing cabinets, desks, chairs, a secretary reception area, and a complete 10-line phone system. The staplers and tape dispensers are going, too.

They will even be selling their complete neon sign-making shop.

“If someone wants to start their own neon sign business, they can get the whole kit and caboodle right here,” she said.

There are also several neon signs available, which should draw some interest with collectors, she said.

Then there’s the 5,200 square-foot building and 2.67 acres of industrial-zoned land on the north side of Fergus Falls. Aasness Auctioneers of Dalton is handling the auction.

Floersch hasn’t yet decided what’s next for a career.

“I’ve got so many opportunities,” she said. “It’s been a wonderful experience. I’ve gotten a masters in business management, just no certificate. I’m just waiting for the auction to clear, hoping for a good day, and a lot of people.”

Art N Sign is located at 1801 West Fir Ave., next to the Humane Society shelter.

[DAVE THE NEON GUY]

Is there an inventory list of items that could be sold before the auction WCSG?

[derf]

Hmmmm... I wonder if they have a web list of goods!

[fishing nut]

Hmmmm... I wonder if they have a web list of goods!

You should be able to get lists from the Auction house website. That's how it was done with Masonlite.