Boyce Industries makes its mark in big (neon) letters

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Some employees at Missouri Neon Co. call each other "sign brats." |ret||ret||tab|

That's because they started working in the sign business at an early age, helping one of their parents, aunts or uncles build and install all types of signage. |ret||ret||tab|

Longevity in the business is a hallmark among employees at Missouri Neon Co. Gale Hart-ley, the company's estimator, has been with the firm for 38 years while Ed Mitchell, the production foreman, has 33 years of tenure. |ret||ret||tab|

Then there's Stan McHaffie, a journeyman sign fabricator who's regarded as a "newbie" by some because he only has 21 years of experience. |ret||ret||tab|

Since Missouri Neon Co. was founded in 1934, it has de-signed, manufactured and in-stalled a wide variety of business signs in southwest Mis-souri. |ret||ret||tab|

The Boyce family purchased the company from R.W. Wilson in 1959, and over the years they've diversified and added several divisions. |ret||ret||tab|

Today, Missouri Neon Co. falls under the umbrella of Boyce Industries. |ret||ret||tab|

In 1985, Boyce Industries started Visiontech, a wholesale manufacturer that sells and services high-quality electronic message displays. |ret||ret||tab|

SignLink was founded in 1997 to handle the sales and service needs of clients who live outside Missouri. |ret||ret||tab|

The Boyce family also saw the value of diversifying. In 1979, the family purchased some land and formed Jade Hill Farms, a beef cattle ranch located between Willard and Ash Grove. |ret||ret||tab|

Operations at Boyce Indus-tries' five divisions Missouri Neon Co., Visiontech, Sign-Link, billboards and service are spread out across three buildings located at 3160 W. Kearney St. Approximately 60 employees work in these five divisions, and many of these employees work alongside a family member. |ret||ret||tab|

This family atmosphere carries over to Boyce Industries' management team, which consists of Norma Boyce, part-owner, her son Larry Vernon Boyce, president, and her daughter Connie Sue Billings, vice president and general manager. |ret||ret||tab|

According to Billings, Boyce Industries' outdoor sign division takes care of more than 900 billboard faces in southwest Mis-souri, and last year sales exceeded $7 million for all five divisions. |ret||ret||tab|

"The people who work here are craftsmen," she said. "Many of them were raised in the sign industry, and they view their work as an art."|ret||ret||tab|

All of the signs manufactured by Boyce Industries' sign divisions are created in-house. First, the design department creates an image. Then welders form the frame for the sign using all-aluminum, noncorrosive metals that isolate electrical components and protect them from natural elements. Craftsmen also custom-cut large reverse-channel and open-channel letters, which are then illuminated with neon tubing. |ret||ret||tab|

Workers install the electrical components needed to illuminate and operate the sign, and finally a crew assembles the various components needed to complete the sign. An installation crew transports the sign to the client's site where it is installed. |ret||ret||tab|

Missouri Neon Co. also has a service department with four fully trained service technicians available to take care of any customer's needs.|ret||ret||tab|

"We help our clients increase profits by projecting the image they want with high-quality signage," said Tom Kellogg, sales executive for Missouri Neon Co. |ret||ret||tab|

Many of Missouri Neon Co.'s clients have seen their profits increase after purchasing a sign. According to Bill Dreiling, owner of the James River Grill, volume at the restaurant in-creased by 25 percent to 30 percent after the company bought a sign designed, manufactured and installed by Missouri Neon Co. |ret||ret||tab|

Although Missouri Neon Co. will continue to play an important role in Boyce Industries future success, these days the company is working hard to promote SignLink in an effort to capture more out-of-state business. |ret||ret||tab|

According to Billings, Boyce Industries is becoming a major national sign vendor. [[In-content Ad]]