Customer profile: Vital Signs

The phrase, “Location, location, location,” refers to the three most significant considerations in determining the value of real estate.  Joe Schleif understands that phrase.  Joe owns Vital Signs, and the business is located on the west side of the big, sweeping turn of Highway 12 (Babcock Boulevard) in Delano.

“I bought the business in 1999,” said Joe, “from a fellow who supplied a lot of printing and signage for an event production business I owned.  The business had a good name and following, and it was a chance for me to expand.  Over time, however, I began supplying a lot of design work along with the large format printing.”

Joe decided to tweak the name slightly to reflect the full range of services he provides, although he wants to respect the origins of the business and the goodwill the previous owner had built over time.

“This was a one-person shop when I bought the business, and by 2003 I was employing nine people thanks to a large contract with Qwest, the former Baby Bell division,” Joe continued.  “We were busy doing signage upgrades across a 14-state region.  Once the 18-month project was over, the business settled into the mode it’s in now: two full-time employees and a part-time bookkeeper.”

Vital Visual counts several local businesses as loyal customers, including development and property management businesses, retail businesses like Schuler Shoes, and other organizations like Minnesota Public Radio and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

“Our niche is based on two things,” Joe continued.  “The first is our ability to do quick project turnarounds, which we’re able to do because of our size. Secondly, we offer the capability to do both design and print.  We are a boutique shop in that respect.  People come to use to help tweak design elements, or we can design signage from scratch.”

Joe grew up in Rochester, Minnesota, and attended college at the University of Minnesota.  His first home was in the Lake Minnetonka area, but he tired of the intensity of keeping up with the Joneses.  His production company was buried in a multi-tenant building and in 2009, wanting a change, he found the Vital Signs location in Delano.

“This is a small building but it has huge exposure,” said Joe.  “I could complain about the property taxes I pay, but I receive a big value here.  All the people who commute through Delano on Highway 12 see this location.  Until I moved here I didn’t really appreciate the full value of the exposure this building location provided.”

Joe studied political science at the University of Minnesota.  He enjoyed the event production business—and now the signage design and production business—because they provide outlets for his creativity.

Joe also complimented Patrick Baumgard, business lender, for his assistance in helping structure the loan to buy and expand the business.  “I have had a banking relationship at Wells Fargo, and it may be trite to say, but I feel as though I’m treated like a number,” said Joe.  “Patrick was willing to come out to the property I wanted to buy, offer me his opinion about the value of the site, and listen to my plans for the business.  This bank, a community bank, is the kind of place I want to do business.”