Meet OSC’s ‘Josh of All Trades’

We hate to brag…but we’re really just busting at the seams with talent over here at Office Sign Company. Josh is a prime example of this, being another “Rookie of the Year” and an incredibly talented sign artist. Keep your eyes out for Josh’s handiwork around town, he specializes and excels in vehicle wraps and has done quite a few around Fargo. Hear more from Josh himself…

Name: Josh Grimley

Position at OSC: Graphics Installation Specialist (Wrap Guy). I’m a little bit of a jack of all trades around the production department. I’ve had past experience in sales, art, design, wide format printing, sublimating, installs, and a little engraving. 

Tell us a little bit more about what this entails? I take the finished art and prepare it to be printed to get the best quality on various substrates. I get to go to various locations around town and install the vinyl or sign that the customer has ordered. My favorite part of the job is the vehicle wraps when they come in. I turn into a kid with most of those projects because they’re a lot of fun and the finished product looks amazing.

Where did you go to college? If you graduated, what is your degree in? I was going to MSUM with a Major in Audio Engineering and a Minor in Art, but that job field narrowed drastically. So I decided to cut my loss on the degree and pursued my love of art and design. I was lucky enough to receive an apprenticeship at a local tattoo shop and after a year I started tattooing full time. It gave me lots of experience working 1 on 1 with customers and turning their ideas into pieces of art. After breaking my hand I had to think about my long term career and decide if I would still be able continue. Vehicle advertising and design seemed like it would be a fun, fulfilling, and exciting career with lots of opportunity to grow.

Where did you start your career? I got my start at a company in Moorhead doing screen printing. After several months of doing that they decided to expand and bought a 54″ printer and asked if I would help start that department since I had a background in computers and design. I really enjoyed the technical aspect of producing the best print quality for each job. After a year I made the move towards working on vehicle wraps and have loved every moment of it.

My favorite projects are… the ones I can work on from start to finish. From the initial meeting to discuss concepts, to drafting ideas, designing the final print so the panels line up properly, printing and laminating, the difficult installs, and finally seeing the customers reaction to the finished product. It gives me a huge sense of accomplishment and a drive to make the next one better.

How long have you been with OSC? I started in April 2016 (Rookie of the year haha)

Favorite thing about your job at OSC? The culture that all the employees bring together. It makes the job feel less like a job and more like a fun place to be for most of your day.

Favorite OSC tradition, event or work perk? My favorite would probably be the Tuesday Movie nights. Its a great way to relax and see something I may not have chosen on my own.

When I’m not at OSC you can find me…. At the gym training for a Marathon or Downtown grabbing some food and drinks. Mondays I throw in a dart league out of Rooters and I play in 2 leagues at the FM Curling Club on Sundays and Thursdays.

Favorite place to travel to? Haven’t done a whole lot of travel but I went to Cancun last March and had so much fun. I’m already planning on going back next year.

Favorite restaurant in town? Porter Creek has become a favorite of mine. During the summer they had a bruschetta that was amazing. Drekker and Sidestreet are my favorite bars to go to. Living downtown makes it an easy stroll there and home.

Favorite sports team? I’m not huge on the main sports like football, basketball, and baseball.  I’ve been curling for 3 years now and I recently got hooked on watching the professional tournaments. On TV, they have the players wear mics so you can hear them strategize and call plays. It gives me a drive to learn more and play better by watching the US and Canadian teams battle back and forth. 

What advice would you give to younger people trying to get into your profession? There a lot of videos online to get you started with the basics. Then I would recommend taking a training course somewhere to get the hands on learning you need. From there its practice, practice, practice until you feel like you’ve become proficient in quality and speed. Taking a certification test from one of the various manufacturers would be the next step in solidifying your ability and commitment to future employers. There’s always new products and new techniques coming out so there’s always going to be something new to learn.