Augusta Sign Company Now True to its Name
STAUNTON, VIRGINIA Mark Hackley, owner of Augusta Sign Company formerly of Waynesboro, Virginia has moved his sign shop to Augusta County, Virginia, near Staunton. So Augusta Sign Company is now true to its name!
PART-TIME BEGINNINGS
Augusta Sign Company began in Laurel, Maryland in the early 1980’s. Mark Hackley learned to paint signs as an apprentice signpainter at the National Naval Medical Center (now called Walter Reed National Military Medical Center) in Bethesda in 1980 and became a journeyman signpainter at Andrews Air Force Base (now called Joint Base Andrews) in Prince Georges County, Maryland. Mark first began contracting 
signage with his colleague Allen Gray around 1983. He then formed Kullman Signs with a friend, also on a part-time basis, around 1985. By 1987 Mark had formed Western Signs and Graphics and took out his first newspaper ad in the Laurel Leader. By 1988, Mark was married and he moved his business, still called Western Signs and Graphics, to Waynesboro, Virginia. He worked from home on a part time basis while working for Keeney and Company Architects of Charlottesville for about a year but before long, Mark began renting space above the former Doll Hospital on Wayne Avenue in Waynesboro later in 1988.
FROM ARCHITECTURE TO ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN
In April, 1990, Mark resigned as a draftsman and began a full-time sign company! He changed the name to Tree Street Signs and Graphics and moved his business to Charlotte Avenue, 
where he remained for one full year. The business began to grow and Mark soon expanded to a larger facility in Crimora, Virginia, where he rented industrial space from Gary and Linda Scrogham of Scrogham Enterprises.
It was at this point when Mark upgraded his business from a sole proprietorship to a corporation. This is the same corporation operating today as Augusta Sign Company. Although the business was sold to Tedsan, Inc. in 2000, Mark kept his contracting license and corporation going on a part-time basis as he worked for various organizations in sales and marketing. In July, 2015, Mark re-started his business from his home on Magnolia Avenue in Waynesboro. Once again he grew the business back as though it had never taken a break! He added a detached shop building later that year and worked from that location until September 1 of this year, when he moved to a larger shop between Middlebrook and Staunton on Middlebrook Road.
BROAD SERVICE AREA
Augusta Signs serves customers throughout Virginia. Earlier this month Mark installed signage for a law firm in Richmond, Virginia and next month he will be working on branding condominiums in Alexandria, Virginia. Even though he will take on regional projects, most of his jobs are derived from customers in Augusta County.
The company specializes in custom wood signage, both new and refurbished. Anyone interested in having Mark come out for a survey for a new or existing sign, may contact him at mark@augustasigncompany.com.
GOLD OR NO GOLD
carving class in Stowe, Vermont, taught by expert carver, Jay Cooke. I remember thinking that I could share some of the craft I learned with businesses in Virginia, perhaps improving the aesthetics of our area with nice signage. From 1990-2000 when I owned and operated Tree Street Signs in Crimora, I believe I was able to do just that!
the colors of the old sign were just too drab. They wanted a white background with a black and gold color scheme. (Later on I found out they were originally from Pittsburgh, so the Pittsburgh Steelers’ black and gold color scheme was in the back of their mind in this decision.) They weren’t worried about losing the gold leaf as long as the renovated sign popped so people could read it well.
Looking for a simplified way to use old electric sign cabinets? I bet I have had a dozen calls about sign face replacement since I restarted my commercial sign company here in Waynesboro, Virginia two years ago. Many people who go into business for themselves will rent or purchase a former commercial building. When they get the building, most times they also get the old signage. Jurisdictions usually make businesses remove or reverse or otherwise block out the old sign faces in electric sign cabinets until new owners or tenants come along.
Need help installing interior signs out there?? Last week I got a call from the local Window World retail store asking if 
metal, and wood at schools, medical offices, corporate headquarters, government facilities, and pretty much anywhere people want to show off their brand to the visiting public!
quality oil-based enamel, in this case, One-Shot Brand Bulletin Paint. After that dried well, we cut a rubber stencil on our plotter and applied to both faces of the panel for sand-blasting. After blasting, we stained the background with our own homemade oil stain (70% Penetrol Oil with 30% Bulletin Enamel). This homemade stain works well on exterior cedar and redwood signs and does not peel and flake over time like paints would tend to do.