Here's your sign! Watts Media/Multi Services

The title sounds like a line from the Redneck Comedy Tour, but it sums up a venture that lasted some 15 years until I sold the business in 2004. When I was at Chemung County Transit and working on the Southerntier Tourist Information System, I found a lot of the companies were looking for representation, so I signed on a the local rep for a few along the way, including Eastern Metal/USA Sign of Elmira. I used them in the Southerntier project and was very impressed with the quality of product. Eastern Metal was founder by John Knapp and Burley Maines in a small garage in Elmira Heights, N.Y. and had grown into a well know maker of traffic and architectural signs. I signed on as a full line dealer, but was primarily interested in information signs. Some projects included an information system for The Strassburg Railroad, and very large signs for the Delaware Turnpike. Along the way, my father, who was a Township Supervisor in Ward Township in Pennsylvania, asked me about road signs. I must admit I didn't know road signs from shinola but I told him I would be happy to get some pricing together. I did, and he was happy with the prices, so a new dimension was added to the business.

Watts Media Services was originally founded as a marketing and promotional venture for small business and along the way I did marketing for a children's book, a limousine service, and some other small businesses, and local government. Dad suggested that maybe I should consider opening a business, he would give me some contacts and after much soul searching it was decided that was the route I wanted to pursue. As I mentioned I was working at WIQT AM doing morning drive and part time at Radio Shack in Grand Central Plaza in Horseheads. Since I was adding two way communications to the product line I viewed it as a conflict of interest with "The Shack," so I turned in my resignation to Dave Cooper. I did however keep the Morning Drive slot on WIQT and when I was off the air at 10:00 am I either hit the road (two days a week), or went to my home office.

I decided that I would call on parts of Tioga, Lycoming, Bradford, Clinton and Tioga Counties as my area eventually adding Sullivan and part of Columbia and Montour Counties. There was competition from Bradco Supply and Chemung Supply in the sign end, and MANY two way radio companies. Had it not been for people like my dad, Jim Merrick (a long time friend) Street and Park Supervisor in South Williamsport, Pa and Fred Pifer. Borough Manager in Montgomery, Pa I am not sure I would have made it. They were my first accounts, with South Williamsport being my overall best account throughout the time I operated the company.

Watts Media Services was a blend of what seemed to be unrelated products; such things as signs, two way radios, hand cleaner, safety equipment and even shoe grease, but after you thought about it for a time and realized the area I covered was rural municipalities who never saw a salesperson, it made sense.

When I wanted to add two way radios to the line, I approached Motorola about becoming a dealer. After quite a bit of discussion I felt that their dealer requirements were way more than I as a start up business could handle. I talked with another firms, Chemung Communications who I had done business with while I was a C.C.T.S. however they just wanted a bird dog. I felt that I had to have the final control on products and service so I decided not to affiliate with them. Enter Joe Nunn, Nunn Electronics in Rochester, N.Y. I got to know Joe during my time at Chemung Transit, he helped me out with products and radio programming when another firm could not. Anyway, I called Joe and gave him my proposal, he said that he had a couple of field people like I wanted to be and would certainly be pleased to add me. I asked him if I could get some demonstration radios as I had two possible sales. To Joe's credit, he was more than willing, and sent me radios and antenna's resulting in the sales of several radios. Joe eventually went on to buy Rochester Radio and add product lines and service. My relationship with his company lasted the whole time I was in business.

All during the first few yeas of business I knocked on a lot of doors, did every trade show I could and even started a direct mail piece I called "The Wattsline."

In 1991 my father passed away, and still another change was going to happen. It was decided that my family and business would move to Canton, Pa. to be near my mom and to more centrally locate in the territory. As long as I was making the move I decided that a slight name change was in order to better represent what the company did. I must admit it was not easy, but finally it was decided that the new name would be Watts Multi Services. I liked the name since it did not limit me to products and services, yet at the same time would still be familiar to my ever expanding customer base.

My years as the Owner/Operator of Watts Multi Services really kept me busy an because of good products, I only represented family owned companies, I got many referrals from my customers. One of my best known customers was Little League Baseball Inc., still today I see my products whenever there is TV coverage of the championship series.

Someone said the life is an ever changing adventure, and such was mine. In the next edition more on my time in Canton, Pa as I enter politics.