Story of how Giant Letters of Atlanta got started

The story of how Giant Letters of Atlanta began is a heartwarming tale of a father’s love and a daughter’s wedding. In 2018, Michael and Kim’s daughter, Sarah, asked Michael to create 5 ft tall marquee letters for her wedding. Sarah couldn’t find a local company that sold or rented letters in her budget. Michael, who had professional experience in restaurant operations and information technology, was good at woodworking and wanted to make his daughter’s wedding special.

Michael found some free wood on Craigslist and designed and cut out each letter by hand using tools in his garage. The wedding was in the Atlanta-metro area, which was a two-hour drive from Michael’s home. To make the letters lightweight and easy to transport, Michael came up with a design that used some leftover trim paint from around the house to paint them white. The only thing he needed to buy was some backyard string lights to create a classic marquee look. Sarah had her marquee DANCE letters for less than $50, and Michael became a hero.

The reaction and response from friends and family after the wedding were overwhelming, which made Michael think about starting a side hustle. With the blessing and encouragement of his family, Michael posted an ad on Facebook to rent the letters DANCE. Pretty quickly, he rented them out a couple of times, and it was a really fun experience. Soon, the requests came in for different letters and numbers, and Michael sourced the material and designed each character. However, to keep up with the demand, he needed to find a proper source for all the materials.

Michael recruited the help of his youngest daughter, Savannah, to manage the workload. Michael upgraded and sourced professional lights and lumber suppliers, and Savannah helped paint, build, and do deliveries. Then COVID hit.

From that day on, sales picked up despite the pandemic, and things started to get busy. Managing the business, moving to a new house, and operationalizing each part of the business took a lot of work. They brought on lots of new help, including Savannah’s friend, Gus, who joined the team and became the main guy in the workshop and delivery king. The business is busy enough to require Laura and Brittany to answer the phone for 12 hours a day, Savannah to focus on customer confirmations and delivery routes, and Lindsey to focus on social media. Kim helps with a little bit of everything, and Hayley and Jason round out the delivery team.

At the heart of it all is a desire to serve others and the commitment to just love people. GLoA has adopted some key pillars to their success: operational excellence, second- mile service, and creating remarkable memories for everyone. Michael says they are truly blessed to help people celebrate moments and milestones. GLoA strives to be the easiest part of your party. When you get a chance to meet this family-run business, you will be impressed but not surprised to see how a loving dad took a $50 investment and turned it into a thriving small business.