Our Story
In 1940, Franklin G. Horn and his wife Alvina started Ace with a pick-up truck and modest store front. Hand lettering glass doors, vehicles, and oil cloth signs was a way of life, and as technology advanced, so did Ace Sign Co. Now, eighty-four years in business, six generations, and 137 years of sign making have changed the way Ace Sign Co. operates, but our passion to take care of our customers and provide them with the highest quality products remains unchanged. From hand lettering to digital printing, from neon to LED’s, and from billboards to full motion video boards, Ace Sign Co.’s philosophy continues to guide the company as a leader in the sign industry.
The Very Beginning, Across the Ocean
The “August Brand Carriage & Wagon Works” was established cirque 1860 by August Brand, who prior to that, began his career as an apprentice in Germany decorating the crown heads of Europe’s palaces and railroad cars. August Brand is the first of six generations of sign makers in the family who now owns and operates Ace Sign Co. The ‘Horn W.J. Horn Posting Sign System’ was established in 1887, later known as the ‘W.J. Horn System’, which was owned by 2nd Generation Sign maker W.J. Horn, the second of six generations of sign makers. After the Great Depression and faltering of the Horn System, Frank G. Horn was forced to start is own business in 1940, which he named Ace Sign Co, currently operated by fourth generation ownership, and 6th generation sign makers.