Our History
Celebrating More Than 35 Years of Serving Maine Businesses
1990
Sam and Ellen Hands started Sign Services in the year 1990. After many years of Sam working in the sign industry, and a few others, and Ellen having been a homemaker and mother to their 8 children, they decided to take the plunge and start a business of their own. With a typewriter, a used crane and a whole lot of faith in each other they started a journey creating a business that now provides a living to several families and a valuable service to Maine companies and individuals.
Early Growth
It was an unconventional start compared to many. The Hands family lived a full mile off the road on a dirt, and often muddy driveway. They had not had electricity or landline phone since moving to Maine in 1980 from Ohio. Messages were taken off an answering machine up the road at their daughter’s house, and when the driveway was too muddy for the crane, it was parked either at the end or at a neighbors. Originally Sign Services was intended as a services only sign company, but it soon became clear that there was a market for them to do so much more. So, after a couple years, the phone line was finally laid, and the 1st phone call came into their home business. Not long after the trenches were dug and the power was laid, and they broke ground on a shop where they would manufacture new signage.
New Facility
Over the next several years, Sam and Ellen would add on to their home to accommodate their first vinyl machines and computers, workspaces and an office area. Several of their children would start working first part time after school and then full time once graduated, both with Sam on the road and in the shop as well as in the graphics area. They hired on several employees and Sign Services was off and running.
Today
In the year 2000 Sam and Ellen purchased the property where Sign Services sits today, no longer at their home but rather just next door without the trek into the woods. With a much larger and accessible facility Sign Services was able to manufacture most any signage that was needed, and our work crew grew as the need for services did. Since 2000 our building has expanded twice, and the Hands family has expanded many times. Throughout the years almost all the Hands ‘children’ worked here for a period of time. Some moved on to other things, some raised their own children in the office, and some of them remain still, carrying out the daily operations of the company that still proudly serves all of Maine.
In Loving Memory
Ellen L. Hands
April 29, 1946 – October 29, 2024
Ellen was the perfect combination of strength and grace. She never wanted the attention of the room, but she certainly had it. Always the one with comforting words, or the tough advice, but usually the best combination of both. She was, without a doubt, the glue that binds.
The creating of Sign Services as a long running and successful company would not have been possible without the strength and dedication of Ellen. All great things that are built to last start with a solid foundation. Ellen was that foundation. Being an absolute stickler for details and her unwavering requirement for the work at hand to be done but also done right, she helped lead Sign Services through 34 years of success.
While Ellen did without a doubt hold those around her to a certain standard, she was equally as kind, caring and sympathetic. She truly had a heart of gold, and a smile that was unmatched.
Ellen’s strength and leadership will always be missed by all of us who knew her. Mostly though, it is her genuine and kind nature that leaves both our family and our business a bit, less. We strive to carry on in a manner that would make her proud and hopefully of bit of her shines through those of us carrying this company forward.
Samuel C. Hands
July 27, 1944 – August 20, 2026
Sam, with the help and support of his wife Ellen, built the company from the ground up. Through hard work, determination, and a commitment to doing things right, he helped shape Sign Services Inc. into what it is today.
Sam had an incredibly strong work ethic and was willing to put in whatever was necessary to make sure a job was done right and the customer was truly satisfied. He took great pride in his work and expected that same pride and commitment from the people who worked for and with him.
He was exceptional when it came to people. He listened to his customers, understood what they wanted, and had a talent for finding practical solutions that worked best for them. He valued those relationships and worked hard to maintain them, building lasting connections with customers and employees alike.
Sam set high standards, but he was also incredibly generous and always willing to step in and help when someone needed it. He never asked someone to do something he wouldn’t do himself. And while he took his work seriously, he never took himself too seriously. He loved to lighten the mood, make people laugh, and bring a little silliness into the room. As Sam would say, he didn’t want to be “the stiff shirt in the room.”
He also had a remarkable ability to work numbers out in his head and come up with a plan on the spot. His knowledge, determination, work ethic, humor, and ability to connect with people were a big part of what made Sam who he was—and a lasting part of the business he and Ellen built. Sam will be missed by so many.
Michael A. Hands
November 29, 1973 – March 30, 2026
Michael was a part of Sign Services from the very beginning. As the son of Sam and Ellen, the company was not simply a place where Michael worked—it was a part of his family and his life.
After graduating high school, Michael spent his first few years working in the shop, learning the manufacturing side of the business, and out on the road helping with installations. Those years gave him a strong understanding of what it took to bring a project from an idea to a finished product.
He eventually transitioned into quoting and project management, working alongside his dad, Sam. Michael became an important part of the company dynamic, bringing his attention to detail, thoughtfulness, and knowledge to every project he was involved in.
Michael’s time with Sign Services was far too short, but the impact he made on the company and the people around him will always remain a part of its story. He was a son, a father, a brother, a coworker, and an important part of the Sign Services family. He is deeply missed and will always be remembered.
