"I make signs."
That's the brief but accurate response that Thomas Young Jr. has when people ask him what he does for a living."Oh, signs," they reply vaguely, their eyes glazing over as they picture Young painting "For Rent" on a piece of cardboard.
"You know, like Las Vegas," Young elaborates.
"Oh, you mean signs!" they respond, as a multicolor neon image of the Vegas Strip, visible at night from space, pops into their heads.
Clearly, there are signs and there are signs! Young, chairman of Salt Lake City-based Young Electric Sign Co. (YESCO), builds the latter - $84 million worth in 1994.
And 1995 will top that. Business is booming at YESCO, so much so that the company can't find enough glass blowers and tube benders to keep up with the growth in its 11-western-states market area.
"The demand is absolutely overwhelming," said Young.
YESCO, founded in 1920 by Young's father, Thomas Young Sr., dominates its market area today and has been a strong presence since the dawn of the electric sign era three-quarters of a century ago.
To commemorate its 75th anniversary in business this year, the company commissioned historian W. Dee Halverson and writer Barbara Barell of Barell Advertising and Marketing Inc., Salt Lake City, to collaborate on a book called "A Legacy of Light - The History of Young Electric Sign Co." that chronicles the growth of YESCO in tandem with the progress of the nation during the 20th century. (See accompanying story.)
YESCO is now being run by the third generation of the family that launched it three-quarters of a century ago.In 1988, Tom Jr. and his wife Dwan were called to serve a mission for the LDS Church in Calgary, Canada, and the torch was passed at that time to their three sons. Michael T. Young is now president and CEO; Paul C. Young is executive vice president and Jeff Young is secretary-treasurer and assistant division manager in Reno. Son-in-law Stephen Jones is assistant division manager in Ogden.
In addition to the third generation of Youngs who now run the company, there are other families who are in their third generation of employment with YESCO.
"It's big enough (with nearly 900 employees) that there's room for them and many more," said Tom Jr., who at age 67 remains chairman and spends his days "doing anything I want" although that usually involves working full time.
Ownership of YESCO has been dispersed a bit, but the major stock in the company is still held by the Young family.
Today, YESCO operates seven fabricating plants with 14 branch offices in Utah, Nevada, Arizona, California, Colorado and Idaho. Most of the signs are designed in-house, and the company's work has garnered it numerous national and international awards.
The Salt Lake Division, which has 250 employees, consists of a Salt Lake fabrication plant and branches in Provo/Orem, St. George and Elko, Nev. The division has produced the Stateline Cowboy in Wendover, the landmark revolving Coca-Cola sign in Atlanta, The Kerr Theatre sign in New York and several projects at Disneyworld's Epcot Center in Florida.
YESCO signs in the Salt Lake area include SLC Doughnut, Ruby River Steakhouse, Apple Spice Junction, First Security Bank, Galaxy Diner, the Shilo Inn and numerous signs in The Park Food Court in the ZCMI Center.