Our Story

Founded by Judy Shields

In 2006, Judy Shields took a leap of faith. After spending nearly a decade working as a graphic designer for print shops and advertising agencies in Las Vegas, she noticed something that bothered her every time she drove through the city's commercial districts: small businesses were paying premium prices for signage that looked anything but premium. The disconnect between cost and quality was staggering, and Judy knew she could do better.

She started XXL Signs with her personal savings, a secondhand vinyl plotter she found at an auction, and a rented workshop space that barely fit a design desk and a cutting table. Those first months were grueling. Judy handled everything herself — meeting clients, designing layouts, cutting vinyl by hand, and installing signs on ladders in the Nevada heat. But her work spoke for itself. Every sign she produced was crafted with the kind of care and attention to detail that the big shops simply could not match at their volume.

Word of mouth became her most powerful marketing tool. A restaurant owner would tell a neighboring retailer. A car dealership would recommend her to a real estate office. Within two years, Judy had more work than she could handle alone, and she hired her first employee. By 2010, the team had grown to eight people, and the little workshop had been replaced by a proper 5,000 square foot production facility equipped with CNC routers, wide-format printers, and a dedicated paint booth.

The turning point came in 2012 when XXL Signs landed its first casino property contract. The scope was massive — exterior monument signs, interior wayfinding, illuminated channel letters, and ADA-compliant signage throughout the property. Judy's team delivered flawlessly, on budget and ahead of schedule. That single project opened the door to the hospitality industry, and soon XXL Signs was a go-to name for casino and hotel signage throughout the Las Vegas valley.

In 2018, recognizing the explosive growth happening in Northwest Arkansas — fueled by major corporations like Walmart, Tyson, and J.B. Hunt — Judy made the strategic decision to open a second location in Centerton, Arkansas. Today, XXL Signs operates from two fully-equipped facilities with a team of dedicated professionals who share Judy's original vision: every business deserves signage that makes them look extraordinary, at a price that makes sense. The parent company, JDS Operations L.L.C. (Reg# 224050796910), continues to grow under Judy's leadership, with over 15,000 signs installed and counting.