On a peaceful fall night in September 1992, David Ashley’s father-in-law Hilton suffered an embolism at home, a potentially fatal blood clot that can kill without warning. Hilton’s wife Lina dialed 911 and anxiously waited for the medics but the ambulance passed their house many times, unable to find them.

Lina grew fearful at Hilton’s side and wondered what was taking so long. She could hear sirens drawing near before rapidly fading out. As the flashing lights approached again, Lina flagged the ambulance down. By the grace of God Hilton survived and a major lesson presented itself.

The next day, as David drove around the neighborhood, his business’ major flaw became apparent. Leaves, snow, trash, and parked cars sometimes hid the curb numbers, preventing people from seeing them. Despite his method being better than nothing, David knew he had to do better. Jackson, Mississippi required something radical and innovative that would change the face of home identity. 

On a cool October evening in 1992, David Ashley drafted the blueprint for a cutting-edge solution. He wanted to prevent what had happened to Hilton and Lina from happening to others in the community. What materialized on the page was something exceptional, an address sign that could be viewed from both sides day or night, from hundreds of feet, in all kinds of weather.

In the months that followed, he dreamt up a collection of products that would revolutionize the home address market — preventing unnecessary deaths, aiding emergency services, and beautifying front yards. The original, unadorned ‘C Sign’ was born from a moment of pure inspiration, its painted metal featured 4-inch reflective numbers that could easily be seen day or night in all types of weather.

David proudly drove its post into his front yard, knowing he was onto something. Address America was no longer just a curb painting business, it was rapidly evolving.

Between 1993 and 1996, David Ashley worked hard to develop his business, travelling across Alabama, Florida, Minnesota, and Louisiana, sometimes with his family and sometimes alone. His business was swiftly progressing into yard sign offerings, based on interactions he had with residents.

David listened to thousands of people in communities all across America, learning what they truly wanted when it came to home address signs.

One heartbreaking story struck a chord with David whilst he was working in Mobile, Alabama. A woman told him that her husband had suffered a heart attack just a week earlier. After calling 911 for help, the ambulance passed their house, which delayed treatment for several minutes. Sadly, that night, her husband passed away, leaving her a widow.

The woman said she wished she’d had a home address sign and wondered if it might have saved her husband. This story echoed David’s own experience with his father-in-law Hilton and again highlighted a pressing issue.

The insights David acquired when talking to everyday people solidified his understanding of what was needed. Communities required an intelligent solution —highly-visible signs that could be seen in both darkness and light, 365 days a year.

But it didn’t stop there. Residents wanted decorative signs that would bring a smile to their face when they pulled into their driveways. Though he’d created the only real solution available on the market, David began to rethink his blueprint, taking aesthetics into account, as well as functionality.

This era of industriousness set a powerful precedent for what was to come — ornamental signs that would provide a tangible solution for home location issues. Every evening, David labored over his prototypes, improving the ideas that had been swimming in his head. This preoccupation helped lay the cornerstones of our business; it’s why we’re still here today.

In 1996, David made the now iconic Oak Sign from durable wood. It featured midnight black paint, a polypropylene bracket, hand painted white numbers, finial, and steel post. Soon after, David upgraded the sign with powder-coated steel blanks and swapped the painted numbers for reflective vinyl digits. He realized that he could produce signs with low-grade materials for a cheaper price, but cutting corners was never his thing.

Even today, at Address America, excellence is never sacrificed for profit. Every sign that our workshop produces must meet rigorous standards of style, efficiency, and quality. David drew up a blueprint that has stood the test of time, one that continues to guide our family. As we say here in Mississippi, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Address America’s design improvements prompted an increase in demand. David received an influx of interest from various parties who were keen to sell his signs. Realizing that people’s requirements were greater than expected, David experimented by offering his signs wholesale to clients around the country.

In 1997, back on his home turf of Jackson, David honored wholesale distributor orders straight out of his garage. His father Bill erected a workshop in the backyard to help fulfill the needs of customers. Every day, the family worked together to ship sign materials across the country. Address America was picking up speed faster than they could control it.

On December 19, 1997, Address America, Inc. formed, outgrowing the garage as business exploded. The company established its headquarters in Ridgeland, Mississippi, paving the way for further development.

Over the next few years, David conceived exciting new signs including the Rose, Annandale, Le Paris, Boardwalk, and Excalibur, bolstering his business as the leading producer of home address signage across the whole of North America.