75 years of experiences that matter

 

After 75 years, we’ve never lost sight of our goal: to help our clients move business forward. At the heart of this goal has been the tenacity of moving our own business forward. Join us as we celebrate our growth over the last 75 years.

As we celebrate 75 years of experiences that matter, we can’t help but reflect on this long and rewarding journey. We are so grateful for our loyal clients, dedicated employees, and supportive communities that have played an essential part in helping us reach this milestone.

At Derse, we take pride in our commitment to quality craftsmanship and innovation, and it is a privilege to continue serving our customers with the same level of care and attention to detail that has been the hallmark of our business for the past 75 years. Thank you for being a part of our story.

OUR STORY

OUR MEMORIES

OUR BRAND

OUR COMMITMENT

OUR STORY

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Derse was founded in 1948 by James F. Derse as a sign painting business in the back of his mother’s garage. Throughout the next several decades, product lines grew to include outdoor advertising, interior and exterior signage, and trade show exhibit design and construction services.

In 1989, Jim Derse sold the company to current owners Bill Haney and Bill McNamara. Over the years, Derse added multiple full-service offices across the U.S. Double-digit growth continued into the 21st century and services expanded to customer experience and client strategic service practices.

After 75 years, Derse has evolved into a complete face-to-face marketing focused on experiential marketing across trade show exhibits, events, and branded environments. Over the past decade, we have mobilized and integrated these services to help clients generate excitement, brand awareness, and buying interest in their targeted audiences.

As our clients’ needs and programs have evolved, so have we. Let’s take a stroll down memory lane to see how we got here.

 

Read More About Our History

OUR MEMORIES

From our humble beginnings to 1948 to our current growth and success, we wouldn’t be where we are without our people. Let's hear from some of our employees who have been crafting winning experiences throughout the last 75 years:

  • Jim Derse had said, ‘We're gonna try something new with the sales personnel. Let's try getting someone young out of college rather than a seasoned salesperson.’ Some of their salespeople weren't working out, so I was kind of a Guinea pig. Bill Haney called my home, and my mom took a message. I still have the handwritten note telling me to contact Bill Haney. Fifteen years after I was hired, I stumbled upon the note in the glove compartment of my car the same night I was going out to dinner with Bill and his wife...I’ve kept it on my fridge ever since.

    “Jim Derse had said, ‘We're gonna try something new with the sales personnel. Let's try getting someone young out of college rather than a seasoned salesperson.’ Some of their salespeople weren't working out, so I was kind of a Guinea pig. Bill Haney called my home, and my mom took a message. I still have the handwritten note telling me to contact Bill Haney. Fifteen years after I was hired, I stumbled upon the note in the glove compartment of my car the same night I was going out to dinner with Bill and his wife...I’ve kept it on my fridge ever since.

    - John Fricke  |  Derse Employee since 1977

  • The first time I was invited to participate in Derse’s Exhibitor presence, attendees had been complaining the previous couple years about how aggressive the exhibit staff members were getting. Inspired by those yellow marshmallow treats my Mom used to love, I had an idea to build a whole campaign around our staff not saying a word – Not a Peep – until we understood an attendee’s challenges. I wasn’t part of the booth staff that first year, which was fine with me as we had a newborn at home. But I remember being at home on a Tuesday night, rocking my son to sleep in the living room, when the phone rang. I had my hands full, so I let it go to voicemail. It was our president, calling from Las Vegas, to tell me how amazing the response to our experience was. I was so touched that he took the time to let me share in the success. That feeling – the feeling of designing an experience that resonates at a human level – has never gotten stale for me … unlike those Marshmallow peeps, which Mom used to prefer only after they’d sat out for a good couple of days.

    “The first time I was invited to participate in Derse’s Exhibitor presence, attendees had been complaining the previous couple years about how aggressive the exhibit staff members were getting. Inspired by those yellow marshmallow treats my Mom used to love, I had an idea to build a whole campaign around our staff not saying a word – Not a Peep – until we understood an attendee’s challenges. I wasn’t part of the booth staff that first year, which was fine with me as we had a newborn at home. But I remember being at home on a Tuesday night, rocking my son to sleep in the living room, when the phone rang. I had my hands full, so I let it go to voicemail. It was our president, calling from Las Vegas, to tell me how amazing the response to our experience was. I was so touched that he took the time to let me share in the success. That feeling – the feeling of designing an experience that resonates at a human level – has never gotten stale for me … unlike those Marshmallow peeps, which Mom used to prefer only after they’d sat out for a good couple of days.

    - Pete Riddell  |  Derse employee since 2002

  • When I was about 8 years old, I would walk a few blocks from my house to a dumpster on 27th Street and St. Paul. From the dumpster, I found scraps of wood, light fixtures, and other building materials. I would bring those home and build birdhouses and other structures. As it turns out, that was Derse’s dumpster from the 1970 location. I’ve worked at Derse since 1980 as a silk screen maker, a CNC operator, project manager, and now an estimator, but my history with Derse goes back further than when I was first employed.

    “When I was about 8 years old, I would walk a few blocks from my house to a dumpster on 27th Street and St. Paul. From the dumpster, I found scraps of wood, light fixtures, and other building materials. I would bring those home and build birdhouses and other structures. As it turns out, that was Derse’s dumpster from the 1970 location. I’ve worked at Derse since 1980 as a silk screen maker, a CNC operator, project manager, and now an estimator, but my history with Derse goes back further than when I was first employed.

    - Mark Czerwinski  |  Derse employee since 1980

OUR BRAND

Our look has changed over the years but our heart remains committed to our work.

OUR COMMITMENT
TO THE NEXT 75

As we celebrate everything that’s gotten us to this point, we can’t help but get excited for what’s next.

Interested in being part of the Derse story?

 

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