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By LOIS KINDLE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 8, 2007

Updated: 09/06/2007 04:33 pm

RUSKIN - When Tracy Cannon first began working with graphics 13 years ago, she primarily applied vinyl lettering to vehicles.

At the time, she worked part time tinting windows for Solar Designs and serving customers at Beef O'Brady's in Apollo Beach.

Cannon enjoyed her graphics work so much that six months into it she approached Solar Designs owner Glen Gray about taking out a $2,500 loan to buy some sign-making equipment. She didn't know it at the time, but that purchase would eventually lead to a business of her own.

'Everything just started rolling after that,' she said.

At first Cannon was on her own, learning additional graphics techniques on the fly. But as time went by and the volume of work increased, the need arose to separate the tinting side of Solar Designs from the graphics side. The decision was made to create a separate company, and Cannon founded South Shore Signs in September 2005.

'It put me more in the driver's seat and gave Glen and I time to focus more on our separate ventures,' Cannon said. 'I learned all this basically on my own, sometimes the hard way, but it really paid off.'

South Shore Signs works out of the upstairs portion of the Solar Designs building at 103 College Ave. W., Ruskin. The company has two employees - Cheryl Russell, a former Solar Designs employee, and Carolyn Hogue, who came onboard a month after the company was formed. Russell is a graphics designer and Hogue handles sales and bookkeeping.

The three-woman operation offers large format digital printing, banners, site signs, storefronts, fleet graphics, magnetic signs, boat lettering, custom logo design and perforated vinyl signage. The company recently began doing business cards, as well.

'We provide start-to-finish service on our complete design services and in-house manufacturing,' Cannon said. 'And we really try to give people a quality product at a price that fits their budgets. Our customers are our friends.'

South Shore Signs' numerous clients include Century 21 Beggins Enterprises, Harriet's Flowers, Newland Communities, Beanie's Bar & Sports Grill and Wilhelm Heating and Air Conditioning.

Cannon said it's a blast owning an all-woman business.

'People really freak out because it's three girls who do all this work,' she said. 'We went through a couple of guys, but they just didn't work out. I think women are really committed to follow-through, to making sure the job is done right. We pay more attention to detail.'

Not that she has anything against men, she said. In April, Cannon married Gray, her former boss. They live in Ruskin with their two daughters, Christina, 6, and Ariya, 2.

SOUTH SHORE SIGNS

OWNER: Tracy Cannon

EMPLOYEES: Cheryl Russell and Carolyn Hogue

WHERE: 103 College Ave. W., Ruskin

HOURS: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and by appointment

INFORMATION: (813) 645-2201

Reporter Lois Kindle can be reached at (813) 865-1553 or lkindle@tampatrib.com.

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