[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 64 (Thursday, April 6, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S5513]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


    FRANK AuCOIN: SOUTH CAROLINA'S SMALL BUSINESS PERSON OF THE YEAR

 Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to 
Frank AuCoin, South Carolina's small-business person of the year for 
1995. He is owner and president of Sign It Quick, a computerized sign-
making company based in Charleston.
  Success has not simply knocked on the door for Frank. He has done it 
the old fashion way--by working hard. He is a self-made businessman 
whose sign-making chain now boasts nine franchises in South Carolina, 
Florida, and Tennessee. The chain generated nearly $4 million in sales 
just last year.
  While Frank and his wife, Teresa, were operating a chain of 
bookstores in South Carolina and Georgia in the early 1970's, they 
realized the potential of the sign-making business when they could not 
get their signs made quickly enough. So they started making their own. 
By the late 1980's when the technology became available to generate 
computer-aided signs, Frank realized that he could start a business to 
create and mass-produce signs easily. In 1987, Frank and his wife 
invested their life savings into the concept of a computer-generated 
sign-making company and Sign It Quick was born.
  Mr. President, I am delighted to commend Frank AuCoin's many 
successes as a small businessman. When he opened his first store he 
created the world's largest sign--one that was the length of five 
football fields. Since then, he has created signs for two Super Bowls, 
the Hard Rock Cafe chain, Euro-Disney, and Donald Trump.
  Recently, the Post and Courier in my hometown of Charleston, reported 
that Frank was South Carolina's small-business person of the year. Now 
he is competing for the national honor from the U.S. Small Business 
Administration this month. I hope he wins.
  I ask that the article be printed in the Record.
  The article follows:

               [From the Post and Courier, Mar. 18, 1995]

                Sign It Quick Owner Is 1995 SBA Honoree

       Frank AuCoin, owner and president of Charleston-based Sign 
     It Quick, has been named South Carolina's small-business 
     person of the year for 1995.
       The honor was announced Friday by its sponsor, the U.S. 
     Small Business Administration.
       ``I'm really happy for the city of Charleston because this 
     is the first time a company from here was ever in the running 
     for this,'' AuCoin said.
       Sign It Quick is a computerized sign-making company that 
     operates nine franchises in South Carolina, Florida and 
     Tennessee. The company, formed in 1987, is headquartered at 
     5101 Dorchester Road in Charleston Heights.
       Sign It Quick has 60 employees. Companywide sales were $3.7 
     million last year. Coincidentally, South Carolina's small-
     business person of the year for 1994 was a Sign It Quick 
     franchise owner, Julie Wetherell of Columbia.
       The SBA will recognize its top small-business honorees next 
     month in Washington, D.C. Companies represent each of the 50 
     states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and the Virgin 
     Islands/Puerto Rico. The national small-business person of 
     1995 will be picked from the 53 business owners.
       Also, AuCoin will be honored at a luncheon in Columbia May 
     4.
       SBA bases its selections on factors such as innovations, 
     staying power, employee growth and sales increases.
     

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