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  • Character
    First

    We will always treat employees, customers and partners with honesty & integrity. Formetco was founded on this core principle in 1968.

  • Safety
    Matters

    We care deeply about the people we work with and the industries we serve by developing safe products and practices in everything we do.

  • Teamwork
    Solutions

    Our best results are achieved through teamwork with our employees, customers and industry partners.

  • Customer
    Focused

    We are our customers’ greatest advocate and pledge to continually develop products and create solutions based on their feedback.

  • Will
    to Win

    We are driven to find the right solution for our customers so that they can successfully engage their audience.

WHO WE ARE

WE ARE ONE SOURCE OUTDOOR. Formetco’s story begins with a hardworking Pennsylvania farm boy whose courage and determination helped galvanize an industry. Nearly 50 years ago, in 1968, our founder Larry Garrett was working for Armco Steel when they decided to sell their entire billboard division. Although many people at the time saw this as a risky venture, Mr. Garrett looked past his initial apprehension and saw something they couldn’t – potential.

With 15 years of sales experience and a Masters in metallurgy, his extensive knowledge and entrepreneurial spirit made him the perfect candidate to make an offer and assume any risk. An agreement was reached with Armco on a Friday and by Monday morning, a business phone had been installed in the Garretts’ basement. He decided to name his new business Formetco (Formed Metals Company) as a memento of a past forged in American-made steel. Of course, the hard part now was deciding how to tell Mrs. Garrett.

“My wife didn’t know anything about it and she was quite shocked. It took about 15 years before she ever forgave me.”
– Lawrence H. Garrett

Mr. Garrett

With Mr. Garrett managing the sales calls and Mrs. Garrett managing everything else, Formetco officially opened its doors in March. Ever the industrialist, Mr. Garrett understood that in business there is only one boss, one determiner of success: The Customer. Without any, Mr. Garrett immediately began looking for Formetco’s first buyer and soon set his sights on one of the largest outdoor advertising companies in the South, Creative Displays. Creative was owned by Lewis Manderson Jr., a man renowned for his passion, intensity and Paul “Bear” Bryant style business approach. An equally savvy businessman, Mr. Manderson was not one to make important decisions lightly. He had purchased Armco faces previously and, after much discussion with Mr. Garrett, ultimately agreed to order through Formetco as long as his trusted Operations Manager agreed as well. When Mr. Manderson’s advisor arrived, any anxiety Mr. Garrett had was instantly alleviated. The Operations Manager turned out to be Mr. Garrett’s US Army Tank Commander from 20 years earlier!

Mr. Garrett left Creative Displays that day with a year’s worth of poster panel orders paid in full and the first of his many lifelong customers. That was then, and today, Formetco has grown into the largest outdoor advertising manufacturer and supplier in the US – all thanks to the man who had the vision and courage to build a company from the ground up. Formetco meant family to him and that’s something that has never changed. His daughters, Maggie and Laurieann, joined Formetco’s management team after graduating college and are still part of it today. In fact, our five chief executives have over 150 years of combined industry experience at Formetco, including the company’s first employee, our EVP of Corporate Relations. But for most of us, our gracious, cordial and fair founder will always be more than just a suit – he is our father, our mentor and our friend. And even though it’s been half a century since Formetco began, we are proud to honor his memory by maintaining the high standards he set so many years ago: quality products, honesty, and respect for those who make our business possible – You.

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50

Years Of Service

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8,509

Satisfied Customers

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269,478

Billboards With Our Products

WHAT WE DO

WE INNOVATE AND INSPIRE. At Formetco, outdoor advertising is more than just business or a bottom line; it’s our past, present, and future. Throughout our time in the industry, we have pioneered the development of innovative concepts and practical solutions. Extensive outdoor experience has given us the unique ability to fine tune our products with complete understanding of their application, installation, required maintenance, and operating environment.

But we’ve done more than develop and engineer – we’ve listened too. Your invaluable customer insight has helped us create and design products that have stood the test of time. As far back as 1968, we’ve developed revolutionary outdoor products still used in the industry today. Today, the heart of our LED display technology is designed, built, and tested for total system integrity at our Research and Development facility in Minnesota. Quality assurance measures include photometric, thermal and environmental testing, complete software development, circuit board enhancements, LED controller production, patented LED light fixture fabrication and detailed product specifications.

In addition to our innovative pursuits, we also seek to inspire and to be inspired. We want to make a positive and impactful impression on the outdoor advertising industry, the patrons who view our products and, most importantly, our regarded customers. Far too often companies are so focused on pleasing their investors and shareholders that they forget to please their clients. Their sell-at-all costs mentality means that quality and service fall below profits and margins. As a family owned and operated company, customer satisfaction is unparalleled to us and the only person we strive to please is you. Our digital billboards, outdoor hardware, sports systems, and video products will deliver the viewing experience your advertisers and audiences have come to expect and we’ll be there to assist you every step of the way.

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