Silver State Barricade boosts staff after competitor's closure

The closure of a competing company proved beneficial for Silver State Barricade and Sign of Sparks, which picked up several new avenues of business and two well-trained employees after Traffic Control Services folded.

Silver State General Manager Randy Cunningham says the departure of Traffic Control Services from the northern Nevada market allowed Silver State to represent new vendors and product lines, and add an experienced salesman and sign maker to its team.

Silver State, which employs six full-time workers and one part-time employee, was well served by the new additions, Cunningham says, because both employees had extensive product knowledge and a long list of loyal customers.

"Because of the market share we were taking, it allowed us to hire two of their people and gain market share of customers that were loyal to them and bring in vendor relationships with some of the vendors they were suppliers with," he says.

"They can hit the ground running; they are used to dealing with their customers and know them and know their demands. It has opened up some additional markets and product lines and sort of opened some additional avenues of revenue that we wouldn't have had if they (Traffic Control Services) had not gone under."

Silver State Barricade and Sign specializes in traffic control supplies, and sales and rental of construction supplies for the traffic control industry, such as electronic message and arrow boards, signs and barricades. Silver State also operates a custom sign shop.

The business owned by Debbie Fowler also was recently certified as a women's business enterprise, Cunningham notes, which allows it to pursue contracts designated for women-owned businesses.