Kirk L. Brimley celebrated 35 years with Young Electric Sign Co. (YESCO) with a retirement party, held at the Salt Lake Div.’s manufacturing facility, in March 2009.
He began, as a glassblower, in his family’s business, Brimley Bros. Sign Co., which Leonard and Harvey Brimley began in 1930 in Salt Lake City (and continues today as Brimley Neon, under David Brimley).
Former ST Technical Editor Tim Brosnahan, who worked with Kirk at YESCO, said a third of Kirk’s lung was removed from a lesion that possibly developed after inhaling asbestos while glassblowing patterns. Also, Brosnahan said, “When Kirk later underwent open-heart surgery, several of us from YESCO gave our blood; I always considered Kirk a blood brother.”
Brosnahan served as national manager of electronic systems for Heath and Co., where he met Kirk. Subsequently, as YESCO’s Salt Lake Div. sales manager, he assigned Kirk the Heath account.
Beginning in 1975, Kirk served as YESCO’s special services manager (government relations). In 1995, the National Electric Sign Assn. (NESA, now the ISA) awarded him the Distinguished Service Award for his legislative expertise and industry service, and renamed the award in his honor in 1997. Kirk served as the organization’s vice president of legislation for nine years. He also served as a representative for the Utah Highway Sign Assn., president of the Utah Sign Assn. and chairman of the Intermountain Electric Sign Assn. and numerous other association boards, and as a sign-industry representative for federal, state and local regulatory bodies. He supposedly retired six times, but continued to offer his invaluable legislative advice.