Built in a garage.Proven across the country.
What began as TJ Signs in 1979 grew one opportunity, one relationship, and one well-executed project at a time.
Built in a Garage
AIS began in 1979 as TJ Signs, when Jeff Petersen started building and installing signs from a garage. Jeff had entered the trade as an apprentice at 16, learning the craft from the ground up. In the early years, the company handled local projects and wholesale trade work — including work for the very company where Jeff had first learned the business.
The operation was small. The standards were not.
The Conversation on the Ladder
Ten years later, Jeff was on a ladder installing a sign when a conversation changed the trajectory of the company. Party City founder Steve Mandell approached him and told Jeff about his first store and two more locations on the way.
Would Jeff make the signs?
That opportunity became AIS's first national account and ultimately grew into signage work for approximately 600 locations nationwide.
Relationships That Created Scale
North Fork Bank branches
The next major chapter was built through banking. Jeff developed a trusted relationship with John Bohlsen, Vice Chairman of North Fork Bank. As the relationship grew, AIS's work expanded from approximately 45 branches to 450 before the bank's acquisition by Capital One.
More than any other sector, banking helped shape AIS's upward trajectory. It built the discipline, systems, and repeatable program experience required to serve complex, multi-location organizations.
Growth came from relationships — and delivering well enough to be trusted with what came next.
A Landmark Stage
In 2015, Barclays Center became AIS's first large-scale stadium project — a defining demonstration of the company's ability to execute complex signage at landmark scale.
Watch the Barclays Center project video
A New Chapter of Leadership
In 2019, Patti Petersen became CEO, beginning a new chapter of leadership for AIS while carrying forward the standards, relationships, and hands-on commitment that built the company.
The Craft Never Left
Today, AIS is a woman-owned national signage partner with in-house manufacturing, project management, installation, and service capabilities. The company is larger and the work is more complex, but the operating idea remains the same: learn the craft, earn the relationship, and deliver what you said you would.
- National Coverage
- In-House Manufacturing
- Design & Product Consultation
- Responsive Project Management
- Installation & Service
See what still guides the work.
