As a young man, Dan Drexler’s artistic talent and mechanical experience came together in building and painting over 100 model cars, trucks, airplanes, and snowmobiles. Then after high school graduation in 1987, with continued painting and lettering projects, a vacant room in the back of Fareway Sales, located in Downtown Stratford, became the new Dan’s Paint & Design. The next 4 years while attending UW-Stout, his hobby continued to grow into a small business. Lettering race cars, trucks and more sign and lettering projects of all kinds began to be familiar and man basement workshop at his home on soon became a color pallete. Various painting and building projects were frequent from the late 70’s to the early 80’s. Soon this talent became noticed in the community and Dan expanded into other projects, such as, simple business signs, helmet painting and trailer lettering projects during his high school years.

In 1991, a collage degree became reality and the first “real job” took Dan to Felker Brothers in Marshfield, WI. Along with employment, the part-time sign business continued to grow. Over the next 3.5 years with continued growth, the business moved to the back-alley garage of his parent’s house in Stratford. With the purchase of our first vinyl cutting graphics system, a new market blossomed. The business grew to more than part-time. From the professional life at Felker’s to the back door, April of 1995 became a full-time gable for the one-man operation.

As business continued to grow, and adding our first sign truck, we decided to change the name to Stratford Sign Company, LLC, which led us to focus on building a sign factory.