41-Year-Old Shop Sold to Young Signmaker

Marg McCarthy, owner of McCarthy Signs Co. (Shelburne, Ontario), has sold her shop after 41 years in business, the Shelburne Free Press reports.

She found a buyer in Enos Bauman, a young signmaker who owns Streamside Signs (Maxwell, Ontario). He will continue operating out of McCarthy’s current space and also retain staff from her company, the article says.

After starting her signmaking career out of her garage in 1980, McCarthy grew the business to a high point of 20 employees and two service trucks. It was a difficult decision to sell, she told the outlet: “It’s a bit emotional because it’s a business that I started from nothing and built it up, it is my passion, but it’s time.”

She also recalled how different the industry is now compared to the time of her shop’s humble beginning. “I did everything by hand, signwriting as a hands-on craft, and then when computers came into play, the sign business changed a lot.”

Read more at the Shelburne Free Press.