Eagle Graphics soars with new owners

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by Maria Hoover|ret||ret||tab|

Inside Business Editor|ret||ret||tab|

mhoover@sbj.net|ret||ret||tab|

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After a dozen years as the owner of Eagle Graphics, Helen Votaw knew she was ready to retire at the end of 2003. That's when she sold her company to two employees Judy Battles and Colby Sanders who took over operations Jan. 1.|ret||ret||tab|

"About May or June of (2003), I approached them to see if they would be interested in buying it, taking over at the end of the year. I decided it would be easier for tax purposes to wait for the end of the year. They were interested, and we just went from there," she said. "I felt very confident with these two employees."|ret||ret||tab|

Sanders joined Eagle Graphics in 1999, and Battles came on board in 2000. |ret||ret||tab|

The company handles a variety of products, including nametags, desk plates, plaques, awards, the vinyl vehicle graphics, vinyl lettering on windows, banners and interior signs. Eagle Graphics, however, doesn't handle neon or billboards, Votaw said.|ret||ret||tab|

"We did the Jordan Valley Ice Park, Jordan Valley Park, the Expo Center and the parking structure, as far as the Jordan Valley projects went, but we've done lots of others in Springfield," Votaw said.|ret||ret||tab|

Votaw declined to disclose the selling price of Eagle Graphics, located at 1932 E. Meadowmere, but she said the new owners will pay for the business over a five-year period.|ret||ret||tab|

Battles said she and Sanders decided to buy Eagle Graphics to ensure its future, and to protect their jobs. |ret||ret||tab|

"We wanted to stick with the company," she said. |ret||ret||tab|

In addition to Battles and Sanders, there is one other employee. Steve Beal is fairly new and is still "doing a lot of learning," Battles said. Battles said she and Sanders hope to eventually add more employees.|ret||ret||tab|

"This time of year, there's not a whole lot going on. It's wintertime, and it's hard to install things outside, too, when it's too cold. We can't dig a lot of holes and everything, but we try to do as much as we can," Battles said. Things pick up quite a bit in the summer, she said. |ret||ret||tab|

Battles said Eagle Graphics just finished jobs with Waynesville and Ozark high schools.|ret||ret||tab|

"We've done signs at the airport. We've even been to Texas and done stuff there, and we've been up to Kansas City. We just do a little bit of everything," said Battles, who declined to provide information about the company's revenues. |ret||ret||tab|

Battles said she primarily handles everything in the office, but she can help with production and installation when needed. Sanders handles a lot of the sales, shop work and installation. |ret||ret||tab|

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Business basics|ret||ret||tab|

The company's business is pretty equally divided between signs and other products.|ret||ret||tab|

Battles said a new Web site for the business is under construction at www.eagle graphics.com, which will help people find the company. |ret||ret||tab|

Other business comes from working with local contractors, Battles said.|ret||ret||tab|

"We get a lot of our work from construction companies," Battles said. In addition to doing construction site signs, she said, Eagle Graphics also provides exterior and interior signs, and handicap signs.|ret||ret||tab|

"They'll send us things to bid on, and we go to builders and look at all the plans to see what's in there, and then we'll bid on all these jobs," Battles said. When we bid on them, we bid on the whole thing all the signs." |ret||ret||tab|

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Saying goodbye|ret||ret||tab|

Prior to opening Eagle Graphics, Votaw spent 31 years as a teacher 28 of those years with Springfield Public Schools.|ret||ret||tab|

After retiring from teaching in 1988, Votaw stayed active in three companies she and her husband owned Votaw Music, Votaw Tool Company and Sailin' the Wind sailboat shop. Votaw Tool Company is the only one still owned by Carl and Helen Votaw.|ret||ret||tab|

Because those three didn't keep her busy enough, Helen Votaw started Eagle Graphics in 1991.|ret||ret||tab|

"(Eagle Graphics) was going to be just a business for me to do name tags, desk plates and some plaques and things like that, just to keep me busy. But then I was able to hire shop managers along the way that brought in their expertise on the signs, so that's when we branched out more into the signs," Votaw said, noting that she was more involved in the business end of the operation than the production.|ret||ret||tab|

"That was my baby," Votaw said of Eagle Graphics. "It was kind of hard, walking away from it, since I started it and went through all the ups and downs of getting it going."|ret||ret||tab|

For the next two years, though, Votaw will still have some involvement with the company if the new owners should need her.|ret||ret||tab|

"In the buyers' agreement, I've agreed to be available for 24 months. That will get them through two end-of-the-year reports and things," Votaw said.|ret||ret||tab|

As the new owners settle in, customers won't notice any major changes.|ret||ret||tab|

"We're still going to do the same as what we always have," Battles said.|ret||ret||tab|

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