What do Health Quest, Dutchess Community College, Putnam Community Hospital and Bethel Woods for the Performing Arts have in common? Their signature signs were all created by Timely Signs in Kingston, from first draft to final installation.
Ozzie Beichert, the company”™s founder, took advantage of a machine that his father bought for his photo engraving business back in the 1960s “It could do engraving on other materials,” said Beichert. “So I engraved a pair of skis for a friend. … Before I knew it, I had a line of customers who all wanted their skis engraved.”
Beichert took a cue from his newfound enterprise and started creating signage for local businesses. From the looks of his 25,000-square-foot building on Clinton Avenue in uptown Kingston, the hustle and bustle of Beichert, his sons, Paul and Joe, and the company”™s 22 employees, his idea to build a business out of creating signs was more than timely ”“ it was auspicious.
Timely Signs has customers throughout New York State; the bulk of its Hudson Valley business has been centered on the medical industry and academia, “two fields that are always growing and building new space,” said Beichert. With that growth comes the need for signage ”“ for hospital wings dedicated to generous contributors to signs on doorways and stairwells, and often they include Braille. “When you bid on a sign job, it”™s the whole building,” said Beichert, “from signs pointing to fire exits to maps of the floors and name plates on hospital doors that have been purchased by donors.” Don”™t forget the lettering and logos outside the building ”“ that”™s done by Timely Signs”™ design/build team as well.
Phones haven”™t stopped ringing
Though the past few years have been rocky for many of his fellow business owners, Beichert says Timely Signs has been very fortunate. “Our phones are ringing and haven”™t stopped.” Beichert attributes the company”™s success to the fact that all work is done in-house. “I used a subcontractor once,” said Beichert. “When I saw what he did, I was determined to have control from beginning to end. I saw from the beginning it was necessary for us to have total control of our product, from the design board to the finished product and installation.”
Beichert estimates his company earns approximately $2 million gross a year and says being placed in the Empire Zone program helped him expand. “We”™re probably one of the few businesses that actually fulfilled our requirements when we were given Empire Zone approval. We went from five to 22 employees and are still growing … but with all the fees and taxes the state is imposing on business and now the loss of the Empire Zone program for new businesses, it certainly isn”™t easy to do business in New York.”
Now that both sons ”“ Paul (with a degree in design work) and Joe (with a degree in marketing) ”“ have come into the business, Beichert is slowly pulling back, arranging a buy-out so that his sons can eventually take over the business entirely. Well, he”™s trying to, anyway.
“Paul and Joe have really brought a lot to the company, and the fact that they love what they are doing has been a tremendous plus,” Beichert said. “There are many businesses that don”™t make it to the second generation. My wife, Kathy, and I are really pleased to see the energy our sons have put into it and how they”™ve helped the company grow.”
LED, solar power part of the future
Timely Signs is focusing on the next generation of signage: LED lighting and solar power. “Neon is expensive, difficult to maintain and although certainly artistic, it doesn”™t meet today”™s needs,” said Beichert. “The Health Alliance (formerly Kingston and Benedictine hospitals) has converted all its signage to solar and LED and gone ”˜green.”™ We do a lot of work with The Solar Consortium and with Fala Technologies, which does the engineering for us.”
Beichert, who will be among the honorees at Ulster Community College”™s Foundation dinner on October 1, says he”™s trying to “retire ”“ but honestly, it”™s difficult. I”™m still here almost every day. I love the business, but it”™s time to turn it over to the next generation. I know Timely Signs is in very good hands because my sons are as involved as I am.”
With so many innovative changes coming to business, particularly with the renewable energy that”™s been growing in the region, said Beichert, “It”™s hard to stay away.”
So don”™t expect to see Timely Signs”™ founder heading for the exit for good.
