Avid Signs and Graphics leads with innovative technology.

Words by Jenny Lynn Davis | Images by Al Blanton

Sports banners? Avid can do it. Business signage? Avid can do it. Monster Jam-inspired shower curtain? Avid can even do that!

For 25 years, Avid Signs and Graphics has been a Walker County staple, providing top-notch signage solutions to businesses and individuals alike. Founded by Wayne and Angie Mitchell in the fall of 1999, what started as a small operation in an apartment has now grown into a bustling enterprise, serving clients from Orange Beach to the northern reaches of Alabama.

Wayne and Angie's venture into the world of signage began when they purchased a machine to cut window tint, a move intended to help Wayne's employer at the time. When they soon found it easier to continue cutting tint by hand, Wayne and Angie pivoted the use of the machine.

"We didn't want to waste the machine, so we used it to start making car decals, and the type of work just steadily increased from there," Wayne explains.

As their business grew, so did Wayne and Angie's ambitions. From a two-person show in an apartment to having a storefront and employing a talented team, Avid has become a go-to destination for creative and reliable signage solutions.

Avid's latest investment, the HP R2000 Latex Printer, is expanding possibilities. This machine is a marvel, capable of printing on virtually any surface up to two inches thick. Glass, tile, wood, aluminum, and metal this printer does it all. It can churn out 27 four-by-eight-foot sheets per hour in full color, making it perfect for large projects like political signs that require thousands of copies.

"We've worked with various flatbed printers over the years, and they did the jobs we needed them to do, but when we saw this one at a sign show in April, we knew we had to have it," Wayne says. "We've had it since April 22, 2024, and it has already been a game-changer for efficiency."

With the addition of the new printer, Avid can now offer same-day prints for large orders, provided the customer has the artwork ready. Wayne and Angie's grandchildren have already reaped the benefits of the massive machine, as it produced an impressive Monster-Jam-inspired shower curtain for their themed bathroom.

The 16x14-foot behemoth is one of only three in Alabama, underscoring Avid's commitment to leading the industry. The printer is so large that the Avid team had to construct a new building to accommodate it. "We had to act quickly because the company gave us a specific delivery date that couldn't be changed. You've never seen any of us work as fast as we did!" Wayne laughs.

Wayne and Angie are proud of the business's longstanding relationships with customers, many of whom are repeat clients. From local companies needing fresh signage to national hotel and restaurant chains, Avid's reputation for quality and service speaks for itself.

It's amazing to see how far we've come, from working out of an apartment to where we are today," Wayne says. "We just want to keep growing the business and keep doing what it takes to meet the needs of our customers." 78