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| Brandon Seger and his father, Merl, of Seger Built Signs |
Partnering with his father, Merl, Brandon Seger always knew that one day the two of them would have a business together. While the family still lived in Kansas, Merl Seger owned his own auto body shop and then became a shop teacher at the local high school. He expanded his services in auto body painting to include airbrushing and purchased a stencil machine to cut vinyl. Word got out that they had this capability and they started putting vinyl on windows and other spaces.
Seger Built Signs specializes in custom graphics creating vehicle wraps and signs. Brandon Seger says they are not currently doing pylon signs but the hope is to expand into that service sometime in the future. They also can change the appearance of a vehicle by adding accents, something that used to only be done with paint.
“There's a lot of social media movement around #paintisdead. They are changing the colors of their vehicles and it's all, for lack of a better word, a sticker,” Brandon sid. Vinyl can be used to personalize a vehicle but also to protect it. He explained that he wrapped the bed of his truck in vinyl to protect the paint job. The warranty for vinyl is five to seven years, and when the vinyl comes off the paint will still be fresh.
Some of Brandon's training was learning on the job but he has also had specialized training by 3M and is a preferred installer for that product. He feels that this sets him apart and it also provides him an avenue for a referral from 3M. This doesn't make them exclusive to 3M, but it does verify their expertise.
Brandon's beginnings were in education, and he taught shop in Kansas like his father. “I loved my job as a teacher. My first two or three years was bliss. I loved what I did. Starting a business was always in the back of my mind,” he said. In looking at businesses that were already in the space, it gave them the confidence that they could do it.
“We wanted to come out here (east Idaho). I have family here and I went to school here. I'd always wanted to come back,” Brandon said. He saw the potential for the business in the area and so he moved his family here.
Brandon admits that he has learned lessons along the way. Although his father came to the table with business experience, starting the business full time has brought its own unique challenges. “If I could go back, I'd change (some things). It was eye opening, humbling, and a teachable moment,” Brandon said. He shared how this has changed his perspective going forward and has helped them improve.
“It's been a huge investment for us, and technically I haven't had any income yet. A lot of people are nervous to jump into business. Just go for it,” Brandon said. His advice to others going into business is to do your due diligence and have some savings but take the risk.
Information
For more information on Seger Built Signs visit their website at https://segerbuilt.com/. You can also find them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/segerbuiltsigns.