BOARDMAN, Ohio – After more than 35 years in business, RL Smith Graphics has entered a new chapter with new ownership and – soon – a new name: RL Signs & Graphics.
“The reason is because we want to let people know that we do much more than just graphics and to emphasize all our capabilities,” said Justin Gable, managing member.
The company, known for its signage, vehicle wraps and business printing, was acquired last July by a group of local investors led by Gable. Joining him are Bruce Tamarkin and Lee Burdman of Redstone Investments, Sam Shapiro of Dart Metals Trading Co. and Joe DeSalvo of DeSalvo Construction.
“The four of us have known each other since we were kids,” Shapiro said. “We’ve made some other investments together, and we thought this was a good fit.”
Burdman said the partnership behind RL Smith Graphics brings a wide network of business relationships that can help drive new work to the company. “We all have business relationships throughout the community that we can help funnel business to RL,” he said.
Gable became aware of RL Smith through his other company, Innovation Exhibits, which competed with RL Smith in some areas.
“We got into signage and vehicle wraps and interior graphics, and one of our biggest competitors was RL Smith. And when we found out that they were available, we were really interested,” he said.
Keri Johnson, who has worked at RL Smith Graphics for more than 20 years, purchased the business from founder Ron Smith in 2021. Smith, who started the company more than 35 years ago, had decided to retire. Johnson said she wanted to continue the company’s legacy but quickly discovered ownership was not the right fit for her. “I purchased the company from him,” she said. “I didn’t love being an owner.”
The new ownership group finalized the acquisition last July for a purchase price of $650,000.
DeSalvo said the team views RL Smith’s reputation as a strong foundation for growth.
“The fact that RL has a rich history here, and so does Justin’s company, and we’re all Valley residents, we think we have a lot of complimentary skill sets and businesses that will help grow the business.”
Building on that point, Tamarkin noted that their investment was motivated by a desire to strengthen local enterprises. “We like to invest in things that are local and like to invest in people that we believe in.”
The new ownership group plans to aggressively expand RL Sign & Graphics’ reach in the coming years, with a particular emphasis on outdoor signage and large‑format projects. Gable said the team has already begun aligning operations and is preparing to push into new markets.
The partners are setting ambitious goals, including significantly increasing revenue and broadening their client base beyond the Mahoning Valley. “Our plans are to triple our sales in the next five years,” Shapiro said.
The team’s strategy hinges on positioning the company as a comprehensive provider for all signage and graphics needs, making it a single source for design, printing, wraps and installation.
“We want to be top of mind for anything and everything relative to signage and graphics in the valley,” DeSalvo said. “We can be a one-stop shop for any partner in the Valley for all things and everything, signs and graphics.
Gable, who runs the day-to-day operations, said the first year was not without challenges, particularly when it came time to integrate the team from Innovation Exhibits with RL Smith’s veteran crew.
“Just getting two different groups of people to work together and communicate together. The workflows were totally different. How we handled customers was totally different,” he said.
The company employs 12 people, including eight legacy RL Smith employees and four who came over from Innovation Exhibits. The staff includes two in-house designers, three installers, production staff and an office manager. “Most of the people here have an art background,” said Johnson, who serves as general manager.
Johnson, who has worked at the company for more than 20 years, said the company has always worked closely with its clients and expects that level of service to continue.
“I think it would be very important to really say that we are very focused on customer service and building relationships with our customers. I have always felt that we are an extension of our customers’ businesses. “
Shapiro noted that Johnson’s reputation was a key factor in the group’s decision to invest. “One of the things [Gable] learned early on was, relative to competing with RL Smith, that Keri had a very loyal following, and people that were with her wanted to stay with her,” he said.
RL Smith provides a wide range of services, including vehicle graphics, signage and custom design work to the five county area but also extends into parts of Pittsburgh, Akron and beyond.
“For some of our bigger customers, we’re shipping stuff all over the country,” Gable said.
The company recently worked on wrapping the interiors of train cars with architectural film and produced five plaques for the Walk of Fame in downtown Youngstown.
The company is also one of only a few 3M‑certified installers within a 50‑mile radius, a distinction that brings in national installation work.
“You have to go to a specific location and pass a very rigorous test to get the certification,” Johnson said.
That certification has helped generate business from outside the region. “We had a company from California just reach out to us regarding an installation in Grove City,” she said.
Tamarkin noted RL Signs & Graphics can do more than just vehicle wraps and is starting to install wraps on boats and even tractor trailers.
Looking forward, the group plans to expand into more large-format signage and aggressively pursue new accounts.
“We want our customers to get to know us, work with us, know our people. We start knowing what they like. They start knowing what our capabilities are. And it really does become more of a partnership, and that’s what we’re really trying to develop,” Shapiro said.
Johnson echoed the sentiment. “There’ve been many people over the years … that I have gotten to know their companies, and as they change positions, they will reach out to me,” she said. “Because we’re their partner. And that is very important.”
“There are companies that compete with us that aren’t really local companies,” Shapiro said. “We want to earn all the local business.”
“We’re all local people,” DeSalvo added. “And we love this Valley.”
Pictured at top: From left are Joe DeSalvo, owner of DeSalvo Construction; Sam Shapiro, owner of Dart Metals Trading Co.; Justin Gable, managing member; Keri Johnson, general manager; Bruce Tamarkin and Lee Burdman of Redstone Investments.