Blog

1920   Thomas Young borrows $300 from his father and creates the Thomas Young Sign Company. The company specializes in wall-painted advertisements, gold-leaf window lettering and coffin plates.

1932   YESCO begins servicing Las Vegas. First clients include the Boulder Club, with its sign depicting a stein of flowing beer. Young would become credited with pioneering the use of neon in storefront advertising and building a national reputation for creativity.

1942   Thomas Young, Jr., second generation, joins YESCO.

1945   YESCO opens a branch in Las Vegas.

1955   YESCO acquires Rainbow Sign Company of Southern Utah.

1958   Silver Slipper and Golden Nugget neon spectaculars are designed and built by YESCO; the massive Stardust sign and fascia cover the entire front of the building with flashing light bulbs, neon tubing, simulated stars and planets against a painted lunar background.

1959   A massive sign is designed, manufactured and installed for The Mint Hotel and Casino. Acknowledged as the electrical engineering classic sign of its time, the majestic sign’s curved and arched form towered 96 feet above “Glitter Gulch,” as Las Vegas’ Fremont Street was known.

1962   YESCO designs, builds and installs a new sign for Snelgrove’s Ice Cream in Salt Lake City, featuring a fabulously popular rotating ice cream cone.

1964   YESCO acquires Sierra Neon and Western Neon (which created the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign), and YESCO Reno installs the Palace Club and Harrah’s Club spectaculars.

1965   Three-dimensional Dee Burger clown signs designed by YESCO appear in Salt Lake City.

1969   YESCO opens branch offices in Idaho Falls and Twins Falls; Thomas Young, Jr., is named president of YESCO. The company expands to eight branch offices and 300 employees; the Circus Circus Clown spectacular is installed in Las Vegas. The sign is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s largest freestanding sign.

1970s YESCO America is established and a new YESCO logo is introduced. A branch office opens in Boise, and YESCO acquires Westarc Leasing of Denver. YESCO expands the Salt Lake Division and opens offices in Los Angeles; Elko, Nevada; and Kingman, Arizona. Royal Sign Company is acquired. YESCO acquires Federal Sign offices in Phoenix, Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada, and Epcon Signs in Utah, Idaho, Wyoming and Nevada. After 45 years, YESCO’s Ogden division moves to a new location. YESCO opens a branch office in Phoenix.

1971   Thomas Young Sr. dies on September 11, leaving behind his life’s work – a legacy of light to be carried like a torch from generation to generation.

1972   Michael T. Young, third generation, joins YESCO.

1977   Paul C. Young, third generation, joins YESCO.

1980   Jeffrey S. Young, third generation, joins YESCO; at 222.5 feet tall, YESCO installs the world’s tallest freestanding sign at the Sahara Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

1982   YESCO creates sign package for Epcot Center in Orlando, Florida.

1989   YESCO installs the sign for The Mirage Las Vegas Hotel and Casino.

1990   YESCO installs the sign for Excalibur Hotel and Casino.

1993   Stephen E. Jones, third generation, joins YESCO. Jones is the son-in-law of Tom Young, Jr.; YESCO installs the signs for Luxor Las Vegas Hotel and Casino and MGM Grand Hotel and Casino.

1996   Ryan P. Young, fourth generation, joins YESCO; YESCO turns over its retired boneyard signs to The Neon Museum, a new 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of Las Vegas’ historic signs; YESCO installs the sign for the Monte Carlo Hotel and Casino.

1997   YESCO installs the sign for New York-New York Hotel and Casino.

1998   YESCO installs the sign for Bellagio Las Vegas Hotel and Casino.

1999   Joshua M. Young, fourth generation, joins YESCO; the company installs the sign for The Venetian Las Vegas Hotel and Casino.

2002   YESCO creates the Olympic rings illuminating the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City; LED becomes the preferred lighting format for Las Vegas Strip resorts.

2004   YESCO fabricates Hollywood’s iconic El Capitan Theatre sign, featuring LED high resolution display; Nathan T. Young, fourth generation, joins YESCO; Daniel T. Young, fourth generation, joins YESCO.

2011   YESCO launches franchise sign maintenance and repair operation.

2012   The Neon Museum opens to the public, featuring hundreds of signs acquired from YESCO’s boneyard; Thomas R. Young, fourth generation joins YESCO.

2016   David K. Jones, fourth generation, joins YESCO. Jones is the grandson of Thomas Young, Jr. and the son of Stephen Jones.

2019   YESCO restores and installs the 80-foot-tall Hard Rock Café guitar sign in The Neon Museum Boneyard; YESCO installs the 79-foot-wide by 272-foot-high LED sign on the Palms Casino Resort tower in conjunction with its property-wide renovation; YESCO’s Franchise Sign and Lighting Service maintenance and repair operation covers 180 territories by the end of the year.

2020   YESCO installs its largest sign ever at 38,500 square feet atop The Reef building in downtown Los Angeles; YESCO fabricates/installs signage for Allegiant Las Vegas Raiders Stadium, opening in August.