Kurt Gaber

In 1992, after hand lettering for 15 years, Kurt Gaber decided to switch careers and become a union plumber for a local plumbing company. His first call from the union sent him to a different company, though, and he explained that at the interview. When they heard he was switching careers, they said they had four vans that they needed lettered. So Gaber Signs was born, and Kurt’s plumbing career never happened. Here’s where he’s at today:

Bicycles to race cars to signs I got my start at 13, lettering bicycles, in my hometown of Washburn. We built a bike racing track in the neighborhood, and I started painting bicycles for the other kids. Then one day a kid came whose bike had been professionally lettered by a sign painter in Eau Claire, about three hours away. I was amazed—and jealous. It made me want to get better and keep learning. Ironically, years later I wound up working with that same sign painter, Walt Karker.