Whitley & Sons Custom Signs

01/15/2026

It was nice to be able to take the time to get into this one. 4ft x 30" no CNC, all hand carved and painted.

11/26/2025

Hello everyone. I guess its due time for another update. As Christmas draws near, I'm sure there will be gift orders soon if there hasn't already been attempts to reach me. The quick answer is - as hard as it was to make the decision to close the Hwy-49 location was, Its been just as hard or harder to pack up, move and begin to unpack and set up again, virtually single handed. to continue to accept orders or make promises to fulfill orders before I have things dialed in here would undoubtedly cause more problems than success.

Having a location 20 feet away from L***ys Custom Sign when Johnny passed away and left me with his possessions and business made it fairly easy to migrate all of his tools, materials and equipment to my new shop. Having almost a year to do it while never missing a beat with customer traffic and orders was also manageable. But making the jump to a home based setup is not nearly as easy. The amount of equipment and tools ive been sorting through to incorporate into my home shop already full of equipment and tools, is just overwhelming. I will be getting rid of a ton of things that are just not necessary for my work that had been basically stored at the old shop all these years.

The shop phone has been SHUT-IT-OFF since Oct 15th, while I make this transition and would remain off until I am ready to begin making signs again. Nov 1st was my target date to start up again but its looking more like New years day (the day I first opened in 2015) But I have decided to turn the shop phone back on starting **Dec 1st** to accept Xmas orders. I am close enough to begin making carved signs and xmas is one of the most important times of the year for my signs. Thank you for reading all of this and keep in mind - If you've tried to call ^^^ this is your answer as to why the indox is probably full or no one has responded. Im just one person here. Its far to overwhelming to take on all of the shop positions as well as this current task of setting everything back up. Its not good for me - therefor its not good for my customers.

Talk to ya Dec 1st**

Adam Whitley - Whiltey's Custom Signs

10/10/2025

"The road goes on forever and the party never ends"

Another first. I always like new things. Also the first sign at the new shop.

09/23/2025

An Update on Whitley’s Custom Signs

Hello everyone,

I need to share some important news about the future of Whitley’s Custom Signs here in Auburn.

**The quick version:**

* The shop at "187 Palm Ave" is closing.
* I’ll be scaling back temporarily, but not shutting down.
* Target date to be running smoothly again: October 15th.

The longer version:
I’ll be moving the shop out of the Palm Ave location and into a home-based operation. Long term, I’d like to find a better location and build the business back With the experience Ive gained over the past 10 years as its owner. Til then, Im choosing to pull things back to a manageable home-based opporation while recreating a better foundation for the business. Everything Ive always done will continue without change.

This decision hasn’t come lightly. Walk-in traffic has dropped steadily over the last few years while material costs have climbed to two, three, even four times what they were — and sometimes aren’t even available. On the flip side, online, phone, and text orders have grown to make up about 80% of my business since COVID. That shift made it clear that I need to adapt to keep this business alive. To some - this may not be desireable. I apologize for that but I understand. I expect a certain amount of loss in that aspect but There are other places that can accomodate your needs if I cannot.

To be transparent: I’ve poured a lot of pride and energy into this shop since taking it over on January 1st, 2015, after Johnny’s passing. I went from employee to owner literally overnight. It was an honor to continue his legacy, but also an immense pressure that I didn’t fully anticipate. Over the years, that weight slowed the growth of the shop along with a few critical blows I endured in the first 3-4 years in business. Challenges that dimmed my optimism for a successful future. — a hard realization given how much of myself I’ve put into it.

Recently, I spoke at length with Johnny’s wife, Angie. She encouraged me to let go of the old shop and rebuild this business in a way that fits me. That conversation encouragemed me to refocus things, which I needed. This change isn’t just about surviving in a tough industry — it’s about reclaiming my creative energy and my overall health, so I can keep doing this work I love for years to come.

Whitley’s Custom Signs isn’t going Away. I’m still here to serve you, just in a way that’s more sustainable.

Thank you for supporting me through the ups and downs. It means more than I can say.

Sincerely,
Adam Whitley
[email protected]
530-885-9206

07/25/2025

07/25/2025

Complete refurbishment of a monster 4"×16'×6' Redwood sign

07/25/2025

Corian, 2ftx4ft

07/25/2025

A first

02/07/2025

Just a reminder, this is a 1 person shop. There is a lot to do in making custom signs the way I do it. Answering the phone every time it rings is not always an option. If im installing a sign or meeting with a customer, having the office open is not an option.

Please be patient and take this into consideration.
For everyone concerned that i am no longer in business, due to my not being open during working hours or they called once and didnt get an answer, THESE ARE FOR YOU 😍

12/13/2024

12 days left to order your gift signs in time for christmas