LV sign company sold to competitor

Phil Levine

Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2000 | 11:05 a.m.

The lights will soon dim for the last time at Las Vegas-based Larsen Electric Sign Co.

Located at 1405 A Street, company owner Ray Larsen is selling the business' equipment and service contracts to Salt Lake City-based Young Electric Sign Co. (YESCO); Larsen will retain the rights to his company name.

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

YESCO's Las Vegas office is at 5119 Cameron Street; among the company's more prominent service contracts is the famed "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign on the south end of Las Vegas Boulevard.

Though he's keeping the company name "just to avoid any (legal) complications," Larsen is retiring from a business he's worked in since the late 1930s.

"My lease expired this month, and it just seemed to me to be the right time to do this," he said. "I've lived at Canyon Gate (golf community) for the last few years, and I've only played about five games of golf since we've moved there."

YESCO President Mike Young said the acquisition provides his company with a desirable growth opportunity.

"The added equipment will give us the chance to better serve our customers in Southern Nevada," he said. "It will also increase our capacity to install and service customers in this area."

Young said job applications would be offered to Larsen's 15 employees.

"I thought that was a nice gesture on their (YESCO) part to come over and offer that," Larsen said.

Larsen Electric has been in business in Las Vegas for 31 years. However, Ray Larsen's involvement in the sign business dates back much further.

"I first got into the business in 1938," he said. "Before I opened my business here, I actually worked for YESCO for about 29 years. So this sure isn't the first time I've done business with them."

Larsen said his company currently has several service contracts with local casinos.

"We do work for the California (hotel casino), Palace Station, Sam's Town and other Boyd (Gaming Group) properties," he said. "Those are all contracts that YESCO will likely take over."

The decision to retire from the sign industry was several months in the making, said Larsen.

"I actually started cutting back (staff) about eight months ago," he said. "At one time, we had as many as 90 people working here."

After so many years in the electric sign business, Larsen said he's looking forward to pulling the plug on his daily grind.

"My wife and I haven't had a week off since 1996, and I'm looking forward to just putting the whole (business) thing behind," he said.