By Sam Harvey
Staff Reporter

	Coastal Point • Sam Harvey Joe McDonough applies a vinyl to the side of a pick-up truck.

He started up Delmarva Sign Co. about a year ago. “I’m the silent partner — I make the decisions, my wife (Anna) makes the money,” McDonough joked.

The McDonoughs have six children, five girls and a boy, ages ranging from 3 to 14 years, so it’s a safe bet they have their hands full.

“After we got married, we decided to get away from the ‘big city,’ if you will,” McDonough said. They moved to Sussex seven years ago.

Things remained low-key around Delmarva Sign Co. for most of the past year, mainly bartered work between family and friends, but things are popping now.

His wife has her own business — Compulsive Cleaning, and amidst her other duties, she helps to spread the word about Delmarva Sign Co.

Her husband has canvassed the family SUV with big, bold, two-tone lettering and their phone number, so every job, errand or pickup turns into quality advertising time.

The family vehicles give local passersby a good example of what McDonough can do.

Over the past year, he’s done signs for quite a few businesses along Route 26, including Lord’s Landscaping, Michael McCarthy Stone and new arrival Ocean View Consignment Shop.

“Basically, any in-house silhouettes are free with the purchase, and I’ve got thousands of clip art images I’ll throw in for nothing if people want a logo made,” McDonough said. “If people bring in paper designs, I can match them, at least 90 percent, but I also do custom layouts.

“I like doing things that are a little more complicated,” he admitted.

He supposed good design usually came from creative artistic talent and noted a few of his personal tricks, like color swapping and asymmetry.

“I try to use a few things to throw it off,” he said.

Of course, these design elements apply equally to traditional site signs, banners, decals, magnetics and storefront lettering, and they do those and neon, too.

While McDonough said design layout was typically the hardest part of the job, many of the applications were equally challenging.

“Sometimes a customer will blink an eye (at the cost), but they don’t understand how much time this stuff takes,” he said. “If you don’t have patience, this is the wrong field for you.”

Nevertheless, he said he typically completes small orders within a week (large or custom orders take a little longer).

As an example of Delmarva Sign Co. pricing, designs on two doors and the tailgate of a pickup range from $350 for one color to $775 for three or more colors.

He noted the nine-year life expectancy on the cast vinyl, saying, “I’d rather spend a few more dollars and have it last.

“Most of the time, when you see a sign that’s cracking, shrinking or peeling, it’s because someone used a cheaper, ‘calendar’ vinyl,” he pointed out.

Regarding traditional signs, McDonough said he wouldn’t recommend using wood this near the seashore. “It’s just not going to last,” he pointed out.

Even the most heavily treated marine plywood breaks down over time, and he preferrs to push maintenance-free products with simulated wood grain — a sandblasted fiberglass or dense foam product, for instance.

He admitted he could only carve and router certain designs in natural wood, but strongly recommended cedar if that were the only way to go.

“I do try to steer customers the other way,” McDonough said, noting how expensive cedar was at present.

In exchange for the old style, Delmarva Sign Co. offers hundreds of substrate (surface) colors, and designs limited only by the customer’s imagination.

McDonough developed an interest in the business through his wife’s father, who used to sell boat and vehicle decals at the New Castle County farmer’s market and various boat and car shows.

He said he’d been drawing and painting since he was a young man — there were plenty of brushes and other supplies around, as his father was a painter.

Both Joe and Anna McDonough expressed the deepest appreciation for their fathers/fathers-in-law, respectively.

Formerly of New Castle County (as is Anna), McDonough said he’d been visiting his grandparents at the Delaware seashore for all his life.

“This is a good place to start a small business,” McDonough pointed out. “You get to meet the other local businessmen, and there’re a lot of nice people around.”

The shop has been in Ocean View for the past few years, but recently moved to West Fenwick.