ISA Conference Brochure for Printers - 2017 - 12

ACT THREE

WHERE THE FUTURE "LIES"

MEET THE CAST

"The show floor is just huge. Walking
around, there's so much to see."

ick Wilson grew up in the sign, graphics
and visual communications industry. "It's kind of all I've
really known," he says.
His father, uncle and grandfather ran a company that
focused on screen printing. His father ventured off into
digital printing and launched Oxford Graphics.
Wilson worked there in the summers, but was focused on
golf at the time, first attending college on a scholarship
and later playing professionally for a couple of years.
"When I decided golf wasn't the right path for me, it
seemed natural to keep working here."
But his business drove forward significantly when
a sales representative suggested he apply for the
ISA Elite program, which brings future leaders
to ISA International Sign Expo to learn more about
the industry.

When he came in 2016 as part of the ISA Elite, he was by
himself. "Meeting the other ISA Elite members, it didn't
take long to build the friendships."
Business was a natural outgrowth. Oxford Graphics is a
wholesale digital print company, serving mostly smaller
sign, graphics and visual communications companies.
"As I became friends with the other ISA Elite participants,
the next thing you know, we're talking about, 'I've got
this project.' Some of them have become really good
customers. I thought it was just going to be a good
learning experience, but it's also been really beneficial to
our business."
Ray Wilson calls the ISA Elite program "one of the best
that I've seen." "The ISA Elite program gave Nick a new
perspective of the industry and helped him meet people
in the industry that he'll be dealing with in the future as
he hopefully takes over the business."
It's a value that he believes could benefit any sign,
graphics and visual communications company, whether
or not family-run. "You can't worry about them missing
a few days of work. This is a really good way to keep
younger people and keep them focused in our industry.
And you just might benefit from some new concepts or
new customers that they might bring from participating
in the ISA Elite program."

He had been to ISA International Sign Expo in 2015,
walking the floor with his father, Ray.

ISA Sign Expo 2017

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ISA Conference Brochure for Printers - 2017