(Absolute Signs prides itself on being a one-stop shop for customers | Photo courtesy of Absolute Signs & Apparel)
Working at Dana Signs for 18 years gave Josh Edick the best possible foundation for eventually starting his own business and instilled values that differentiate his company from many others in the industry — among them a commitment to quality and customer satisfaction on every job.
Edick unhesitatingly credits the previous owners Brent and Judy Grenfell — under whom he managed Dana Signs for 15 years — as mentors. “They were more like family,” he said, “and really took care of my wife Traci (also an employee) and me.” The values they emphasized became second nature to Edick, and resulted in strong relationships with customers — many of whom followed him when he and his wife founded Absolute Signs & Apparel four years ago.
“Traci and I wanted to create something for us and our kids down the road, and after Brent and Judy sold Dana Signs, we remained there with the new owners for three years until a spot opened up in Redmond, where we wanted to stay. The facility checked all the boxes.”
Another impetus for making this entrepreneurial leap was Edick’s own professionalism. “When managing employees, it reached the point where I felt as if I were herding cats. It was hard to control the quality of what was leaving the shop,” he said.
Instead, like their mentors, Edick and Traci’s goal is “to make raving fans of our customers. We’ll do whatever it takes to make them happy.”
At first, Edick admitted, “I experienced waves of emotion, both excitement and fear, and asked myself ‘Holy cow! What are we doing?’ Fortunately, my cousin, who had started his own business earlier, readily shared his experiences and advice, which really helped.”
As did the reaction of people to whom he initially reached out, including those who knew Edick from his many years at Dana Signs. “They showed genuine excitement in following me,” he said.
Absolute Signs & Apparel prides itself on being a one-stop shop — which, in Edick’s words, “makes it easier for our customers, who value our depth of experience, creativity, ability to meet deadlines, and commitment to providing a positive experience from design conceptualization to final installation.”
Services range from business cards and small decal orders to full custom-designed and fabricated monument signs; wayfinding, regulatory, and ADA signs; resort sign packages; vehicle wraps; and emergency services vehicle graphics.
Absolute Signs also offers branded apparel that features a company design, logo, or message. “Items range from t-shirts to sweatshirts, hats, coats, and tank tops — pretty much anything artwork will adhere to,” said Edick. “My wife Traci is in charge of that side of the business, having set up a similar operation at Dana Signs.”
The business descriptor “family-owned and operated” pertains to the couple’s middle son as well. “Jake is the shop manager, runs the machines, produces the signs, and is certified in vinyl wrapping — plus we put him in charge of social media. He’s really a jack of all trades,” said his proud father.
If “the proof is in the pudding” (an expression traced back to the 14th century that means the value, quality, or truth of something must be judged based on direct experience with it, or its results), look no further than the company’s client roster.
Start with Central Oregon Heating & Cooling: credit for its vehicle-wrapped fleet of trucks that are visible on highways throughout the area goes to Absolute Signs. “They function like moving billboards,” Edick noted, “reaching target audiences directly and boosting brand awareness.”
Other clients — the longest-standing relationship goes back 15 years, according to Edick — include Elite Electric, Centerline Drilling, and R-2 Contractors. “The latter two just constructed sister buildings in Prineville near the airport,” he said, “and as one assignment, we created a front-lit building sign that goes 20 feet up in the air. In all, it was our biggest project to date, lasting eight weeks from start to finish, but fun to do.”
Absolute Signs is also the company of choice for agencies that provide local public safety and emergency services such as the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, Redmond Police Department, Redmond Fire & Rescue, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the U.S. Forest Service.
At the other end of the client-size spectrum, Edick gave an example of “an older lady who came in just before Christmas with two aprons on which she wanted her mom’s treasured recipe card printed as a gift to her daughters. (Charge for this job: $15 per apron.) “The whole idea made her day, and warmed our hearts. That’s what we’re about.”
