Johnny Edwards, our founder, always had a talent for drawing and passion for skateboarding that eventually lead him to his love for art. He attended a small community college where he excelled in art and business. While attending classes, John decided he would take his love for skateboarding even further and start his own skateboard company, Impulse. He wanted badly to make his own graphics for his company decks so he began teaching himself design programs and studying graphic design. With this, he was able to create the print files the manufacturer needed for the skateboard decks. With boards in five different states, he was doing well but yet he wanted more.
One day while screen printing t-shirts in his garage, John’s friend suggested he start his own sign company. That’s when the ideas came pouring in and John realized it would be the perfect place for him to utilize his talent and love for art. At only age 25, John’s grandmother cosigned for a loan of $3,000 and with that Accel Graphics was born. He set up in a small 9′ x 15′ shop in the middle of Fort Payne. Working nights at a chicken hatchery and drumming up business during the day, Johnny made just enought to keep the lights on. But as business started to grow and word of mouth spread, he realized it was time to move. He began searching for something bigger and found the perfect spot located downtown on first street. After years of working two jobs, business picked up and John committed fully to the sign shop. He spent hours studying at night and even went to trade shows in order to learn as much as he possibly could. He went out selling to local businesses and left his card in hopes of new job opportunities. With each new job that came in, John put his heart and soul into his work. As the business became larger and the market was growing, John took a leap of faith and decided to buy a large format printer. He began selling what he believed is the best advertising to date, vehicle wraps.
As new members joined the team, Accel Graphics began specializing in more aspects of the design business. We’re still learning and pursuing knowledge so we can provide the best possible design service for our customers.
