With more than 60 years of experience in foundry work, 2016 marks Signature Streetscapes’ 10th year of crafting bronze and aluminum signage for cities, neighborhoods, and campuses.
The company’s story began when Tim Mills and his uncle Mert Mills purchased foundry equipment from an auction in 2006. The story has a unique twist – the equipment being auctioned was from Mills Manufacturing, a company owned by Tim’s father and Mert’s brother, Bob. Mills Manufacturing had succumbed to tough financial times and was forced to close it’s doors; but Tim and Mert saw this as an opportunity.
That year, the two worked out of a small corner of a warehouse, manufacturing bronze golf course signs and selling them to a quickly-growing client base. The following year, Tim and Mert purchased a storefront location in Muskegon, Michigan, and named it Port City Architectural Signage. Business continued to grow, until the recession hit in 2008. The two were forced to find a way to differentiate their business to make sure they would survive.
The result was Signature Streetscapes, a division of the Port City brand, that strives to add curb appeal and increase property value for residential communities, developers, and homeowners. Signature Streetscapes began manufacturing bronze address plaques, decorative street signs, residential light poles, ornamental mailboxes, neighborhood wayfinding signage, and the like. The products were well-received, in large part due to Tim’s and Mert’s marketing techniques. The two wore many hats – from creating a website to taking their own product photos – and worked to give Signature Streetscapes a sophisticated presence despite their humble beginnings. And it worked well. In fact, from 2012 to 2013, Signature Streetscapes saw a 400% growth in sales.
Over the years, Signature Streetscapes has expanded its product offerings. The company now offers an even wider variety of products, including:
- Neighborhood Entrance Signs / Monuments
- City and Subdivision Traffic Signs
- Bronze Memorial / Commemorative / Dedication Plaques
- Custom Decorative Street Signs, Posts, and Brackets
- Decorative Street Lights, including new LED Post Top Lights
- And much more!
Commercial post lights, decorative light poles, customized street signs, LED lighting, and other streetscape products are sold directly from Signature Streetscapes to the consumer. Builders, developers, municipalities, residential developments, neighborhoods, homeowners’ associations, retirement communities, resorts, campuses, and other organizations are able to benefit from bulk pricing as a result. And individuals see the difference, too, when purchasing a single address plaque at an affordable price to spruce up their home.
Business continues to boom in their 10th year of business. This summer, the company had a noteworthy mention in a Washington Post article, where their custom house number plaques were given a nod of approval. We congratulate Signature Streetscapes on a fruitful 10 years of beautifying homes, streets, and neighborhoods, and look forward to seeing what is yet to come!
If you are interested in purchasing any of the products Signature Streetscapes has to offer, you can browse their online shop, or contact them directly for more information.