LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Time to meet the people who help light up Las Vegas. Those signs you see on the Las Vegas Strip can be as iconic as the casinos themselves. Now we're seeing who's behind all these bright ideas that are Nevada Built.
YESCO
Scrolling through the company's archives is like taking a stroll down memory lane. A "Who's who" of Las Vegas signs. Some, like the Wedding Chapel sign they can't part with.
"We're just holding on to it. This is one of those treasures. We don't have the heart to get rid of it," says Jeff Young, the Sr. Vice President of YESCO.
You may not be familiar with their name, but you know their work. Young estimates, maybe as much as 80 percent of the signs on the strip are built by YESCO. Many right here in Southern Nevada.
ICONIC HARD ROCK GUITAR
"You know, we built the first guitar of all guitars here in Las Vegas," says Young.
This latest version is 65 feet tall and weighs tens of thousands of pounds. Rigorous engineering demands mean it will have to be able to stand up to 100 mile-per-hour winds.
ENGINEERING CHALLENGES
So, from an engineering standpoint, what are some of the biggest challenges weather-wise to think about when designing these and engineering these signs?
"Well, wind, there's a big one. But water incursion is another huge factor because we're dealing with electricity and particularly the new modern screens we have. It's all circuit boards. We've got to keep weather off of those," says Young.
BUILD & RESTORE
The Young Electric Sign Company started more than 100 years ago by Young's grandfather outside of Salt Lake City, Utah. It now has close to 1,000 employees, including 350 workers in Las Vegas.
"We have five main manufacturing facilities and this one in Las Vegas is the largest," says Young.
When they are not building, they're restoring.
"Yeah, six months ago, Vegas Vicky was sitting right here where we are. And so we went through a complete renovation of her. It's up at Circa (Resort & Casino), downtown right now," says Young.
EVOLVING TECHNOLOGY
But what they do build here is part of an evolving process as they keep pace with new technology and increasing customer demands. I tried getting a sneak peek at their more secretive projects.
"Yeah, the newest, biggest projects are so much bigger than anything we've ever done. We're still under non-disclosure. So I'm going to just say you wait till you see what's coming down the pike," says Young.
We will have to wait and see. But so much of our history here in Las Vegas is told through our signs and YESCO is the narrator.
