The story of the modern Western United States is a story of pioneers. My great-grandfather, Thomas Young, was one of these pioneers. He was drawn to these wide-open spaces by his faith and a belief that he could build a better life here. Leaving his native England at age 15, Tom and his family crossed an ocean and a continent, arriving in Ogden, Utah in 1910. Early on, he showed a talent for fine art. At age 20, the young entrepreneur founded Thomas Young Sign Company, specializing in hand lettering window signs. Neon was invented in France in 1910, and in 1928, Young purchased the license to manufacture neon signs in the Southwestern U.S.. The company name became Young Electric Sign Company (YESCO). Tom’s travels selling signs in Utah and California often found him passing through a sleepy rest stop in Southern Nevada called Las Vegas. In 1931, gambling was legalized in Nevada and the construction of the Hoover Dam began, with 5,000 workers pouring into the Las Vegas area. The first Las Vegas casinos opened, and by 1934, he had a make-shift office in the Apache Hotel designing neon signs by night and selling his designs by day.

Today, YESCO is a 105-year-old family-owned business with four primary sign manufacturing facilities and 36 sales and service offices in the Western US. We also operate a network of over 127 franchised sign and lighting maintenance offices east of the Rocky Mountains and in Canada. In 2021, I became the fourth CEO of the company, taking the place of my uncle who led the organization for 33 years.