The Sign Cellar was founded by Cameron Hackl in 1990.
By Ginny Mumm
Time flies when you are having fun—and it has been flying for Cameron Hackl ever since he opened The Sign Cellar in Kamloops, B.C., in 1990. Back then, the sign industry was primarily an analog world; today, technology has advanced to the point where the graphics Hackl designs for his clients are almost entirely digital and can be applied to a range of products, from business cards, to T-shirts, to boat wraps.
“Every day we’re making signs, but it’s always a new challenge because the technology keeps changing and, of course, every client is different,” he says.
Hackl’s first exposure to graphic design was while attending the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), but it was not until he got a job cutting steel in the back of a Vancouver-based sign shop that he recognized his passion for the sign industry. When the opportunity presented itself, Hackl transferred into the company’s sign production department. A few years later, he moved back to his hometown of Kamloops where he opened The Sign Cellar.
Building the foundation
For the first 10 years, Hackl worked on his own, renting a location while building his business. In 2000, he invested in a Roland ColorCAMM PC-60 printer/cutter to expand his services and streamline production.
“It was time to bring in new, digital technology,” says Hackl. “I appreciate Roland’s print/cut solution. Especially when space is at a premium, having one machine that performs the jobs of two is really ideal.”
