About Us
A Little Lesson in History
Keeping our word since 1934.
North American Signs was founded in 1934 by the late Maurice P. Yarger, as “South Bend Neon.” Currently ran by the founder’s grandson, John Yarger, who enjoys the active participation and counsel of the founder’s two sons, Noel and Tom Yarger.
For years, we specialized in neon signs for local General Motors, Ford and Chrysler dealers, as well as local department stores and retail businesses. As technology has changed, so has North American Signs. We were early adopters of plastic faced signs lit by fluorescent tubes and more recently have been an industry leader providing signs lit with energy-saving light emitting diodes (LEDs).
In the 1970s, North American Signs changed its focus to national and regional chain accounts and today serves industry leaders like New Balance, GameStop, America’s Best Eyecare, Maersk, and ExtraSpace Storage. In retrospect, the shift to chain or franchised accounts was natural, as the retailing and service industries changed from locally owned facilities to nationally or regionally owned chains or franchises. At the time, however, it required a bold strategy and insightful leadership to extend beyond a local supplier to a leading national provider of managed signage programs.
The company is presently located in a modern facility on 13 acres directly opposite the regional airport, enabling us to reach our national customers in a convenient manner.
North American Signs’ industry leadership has been consistently recognized through the years. We were the first area firm to join the International Sign Association and have served on various committees and functions therein. We are a long time member and past president of the World Sign Associates, an association of signage industry leaders recognized for practicing and promoting the highest professional standards. The organization and the leadership team are honored to have been selected for several national, state and local awards, including the International Sign Association Kirk L. Brimley Distinguished Service Award which was awarded to Noel Yarger, company chairman, in 2012 for his many years of service to the sign industry.
Our Philosophy
We anticipate and solve problems before they happen.
Many companies claim expertise in national sign programs, but few have 90 years of proven experience. Our long history in helping customers manage their growing sign programs allows us to foresee and prevent problems before they occur.
Pledging to deliver our best every single day.
We understand the sign business and the impact signage can have on your success. You can rely on us to work as your partner, maintain open and honest communication, and protect your brand as if it were our own.
FAQ
What is your signage proccess?
At North American Signs, our process begins long before we manufacture a sign, but throughout the entire process we prioritize communication and partnership with our clients.
Our process is customizable to your needs:
- We connect you with a dedicated sales representative and project manager(s), along with the Head of Project Management who oversees the day-to-day operations of our project management staff. They will communicate with you and coordinate with our in-house design team, manufacturing team, and any trusted vendor partners.
- Our detail-oriented designers create artwork for any façade or geographical variation.
- Your project manager works with the landlord, handles municipal variances, and provides reports to update you on the project’s status using our in-house, proprietary project tracking management software.
- After design approval, our manufacturing team works together to fabricate your signs.
- Finally, our in-house installation team or one of our trusted vendor partners will install your signs.
The result: An accurate and inspiring representation of your brand.
How long will my project take?
The timeline is impacted by various factors like the geographical location and number of sites in your sign program. In emergency situations we have supplied signage in a few weeks, but our standard process can take from four weeks to several months depending on your needs.
Additional factors include:
- sign type,
- size,
- material and quality requirements,
- permitting approval timelines; and
- landlord approvals (if applicable).
Why it matters: We want to provide all our clients with beautiful and inspiring designs—prioritizing your brand’s unique needs is the best way to do that.
How do you handle communication and reporting?
When it comes to capturing your brand vision, we understand that nothing is more important than effective communication. To be effective, it must be open and honest. Integrity has always been a core value at NAS, so that’s why we prioritze transparent conversations within our own team and bring that same candor and compassion to client interactions.
Going the extra mile: Everyone has their own way of communicating. Our team is known for adapting to our client’s communication, billing, and project tracking systems to make the onsite branding process as seamless as possible. Many clients prefer a weekly video call to check-in, supplemented with appropriate email and mobile communication, but our team is happy to work within your preferred method and timeline. We also provide customized reporting for multi-site programs and our sales executives are ready to travel to your specific locations to oversee installations when appropriate.
Why it matters: While we probably don’t have to tell you about the value of effective communication, what we can do is put it in simple terms: communication matters because your brand matters.
P.S. Communication is kind of our superpower… Check out this case study with client Pret-A-Manger to learn more.
How involved would I be in the process?
You can dictate your level of involvement in our process. From communication frequency to approval processes, our goal is to understand who you are so that we can meet your needs and expectations on your timeline.
Tell me more: Our client needs have ranged from preferring detailed, hands-on involvement in their signage process, to clients who prefer us to handle the entire signage application process with minimal involvement on their end. We always seek feedback and approval on artwork and installation timelines. Consistent communication and quality customer service ensures your sign will be installed on time, on budget, and on brand.
Why it matters: We know that everyone’s needs are different. We pride ourselves on our ability to absorb, analyze, and execute each client’s branding needs. That is why we treat our clients like partners, working with them to make their lives easier, no matter how involved they want to be in the process.
Do you use subcontractors or manufacturing vendors?
North American Signs does partner with third party vendors. We are headquartered in South Bend, Indiana, so much of our installation work is subcontracted. The quality of our business is contingent not just upon our ability to deliver, but the ability of our vendors, so we thoroughly vet and continually review every one of our trusted partners.
The details: We utilize contractors listed in our internal database of over 3,500 manufacturing and installation subcontractors nationwide; we have long-standing relationships with many of them. Our selection process considers:
- The unique needs of your location; and
- Current and historical data from our database’s rating system, including:
- Quality,
- Delivery speeds,
- Employee base,
- Pricing; and
- Timeliness
- Communication
After a subcontractor completes a job, the project manager rates their performance based on those standards.
Associations & Memberships
