Mike Stevens is quite the success story.
Although he may not want to openly admit it — he is a pretty humble fellow — Mike turned lemons into lemonade just over two decades ago. He added a little sugar and 20 years later … oh, how sweet it is.
Mike is the owner of local family-owned Rapid Signs.
The well-known signage company’s work can be seen all across Lincoln Parish and other areas of north Louisiana, including banks, churches, schools, universities and more. In fact, a person probably can’t stand on a corner anywhere in downtown Ruston without seeing some of the great work by the Rapid Signs team.
Mike’s story is one of a hard-working guy making the most out of a challenging situation.
Rewind to early in Mike’s life. He moved to Doyline to live with his father at age 14 and admits school was not his strong suit.
“I am a legitimate 9th grade high school drop out,” laughed Mike. “I just struggled. I have always had a problem with authority. I didn’t like being told what to do. It’s probably why I work for myself now.”
When his father moved away when he was 17-years-old, Mike made the decision to move to the 318 because of … you guessed it … a girl. To his defense and credit, that girl is now his wife of over 20 years.
“My dad had moved off and had given me the ultimatum that I had to move with him,” said Mike. “I told him I was staying here. I lived in Choudrant on my now wife’s grandmother’s property so I could stay close to her.”
After working at McDonalds for a while, Mike moved to manage another local company around 2000. He did that for a few years before deciding he was ready to embark on his own journey.
Fast forward to March of 2004 when the idea for Rapid Signs became a reality. However, it didn’t come easy and it sure didn’t happen without some help.
“I had a business partner at the time named Brad Jones,” said Mike. “He was my pastor who married my wife and I. He was kind of my mentor. He always helped me and was always someone that I looked up to. He really took me under his wings.
“I had no money. I mean no money. I had a kid and a kid on the way. I had no paycheck coming in. I was in tears. Brad asked me, ‘Is this something you can do on your own?’ I thought about it for a day or two, and decided why not. It’s kind of what motivated me.”
Not only does Mike give Brad Jones credit for helping him start Rapid Signs, but he gives all the credit to God.
“I prayed about it for a long time,” said Mike. “I prayed about it and I got an answer from God saying this is what I should do. I never prayed as much or as hard as I did during the early days of Rapid Signs. Not knowing if you were going to have customers is pretty stressful.”
Fast forward 20 years and Rapid Signs is a fixture in Ruston, one of the many locally owned success stories that makes Lincoln Parish what it is today.
“I tell people all the time, I don’t know what have I done to deserve this,” said Mike. “Because quite frankly I have no education, but I am a hard worker.”
Bullseye.
Mike Stevens reputation as a hard worker and a man who backs his products are big reasons for two decades of success.
“I just think God has given me so many opportunities and for whatever reason, I have not squashed them,” said Mike, who now has 13 full-time employees plus a handful of part-time employees. “I treat people the way I want to be treated. I don’t know what tomorrow holds. I literally take care of what is in front of me today. My rule of thumb is I just treat people the way I want to be treated.”
That mantra has paid dividends and helped earn the trust of the local community.
“We have a long history with Rapid Signs,” said Louisiana Tech Deputy Athletics Director Gerald Jordan. “There isn’t anyone else I’d rather work with than Mike and his team. Rapid Signs takes it to a whole new level when you call at 8:30 a.m. and ask, ‘Is there anyway you could do this by the end of the day?’ The answer is always YES. While that doesn’t need to be the norm, that’s the result of a successful partner who has a vested interest in our success.”
Rapid Signs offers a variety of products, including yard signs, t-shirts, channel letters, trade show signage, interior wall wraps, banners and flags, building signs, decals and stickers, vinyl lettering, magnets and more.
“The biggest thing I want people to know is that we are thankful for our customers,” said Mike. “I want to thank them for their dedication and their trust and their loyalty. We are a family-owned business, and we plan to go nowhere. I don’t know what Rapid Signs will look like in 20 more years, but I do know that a Stevens of some sort will always be in this seat serving them.”
Rapid Signs is located at 120 West Railroad Avenue in Ruston. Customers can reach them at 318-251-2133 and can find out more at http://www.RapidSigns.com.
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