The saga of Signature Sign Studio beings thirty-four years ago this month. Steve and Margaret Delamar, then in their thirties, were united in the bonds of holy matrimony in Chilliwack, BC. After a short honeymoon in the BC Interior, they looked at their finances and (surprise!) they were broke, and with several kids to support (no complaints, they were all great kids).
What to do?
Marg was sidelined from the workforce with a back injury, while Steve’s skills lay in music and art (graphics, illustration, and landscape painting), however, he had worked in the sign industry. Practicality was in order.
And so signs were it.
Getting Going With Signature Sign Studio
Steve designed a business card and printed it. They passed them out all over the area—and they prayed. With each job landed, he would then go and purchase the materials needed to hand-paint the project.
“What Were You Born In Barn?”
Signature Sign Studio was—literally—born in a barn, then moved to a small, leaky Rosedale storefront. In 1987, it moved to their longtime newly renovated location on Yale Rd, in Chilliwack. It was a tough time for a small Mom & Pop sign shop, due to aggressive competition and a tight economy, however, slowly and steadily, they persevered and built up a clientele: largely owing to Margaret’s organization abilities.
Find Our Niche In Cedar
One area of interest was cedar sandblasting signs; These were rare in the area at the time, but eventually provided a unique niche, utilizing Steve’s creative design gifts, and with the arrival of the internet this became a way to grow the business.
These signs are made from Western red cedar and blasted with high-pressure air and sand, revealing a definite wow factor.
New Beginnings
In 2009 Signature Signs moved to it’s new, much roomier new location at 45940 Railway Avenue. We rely on and greatly appreciate our two able employees, Jeff Jamieson and Glenn Holm who do a great job of running the day to day business.
All Is Well
So, miracles happened and love conquered all. We never got rich, but we raised those kids who are all doing remarkably well. Our son Joseph is a web developer and manages our site and social media, and our daughter Jennifer who managed the business while also in school.
We hope that this blog whets your appetite for our work and that we will see you soon.
Thanks!
Steve Delamar, co-founder, Signature Sign Studio