Ever wonder what the signs are made of on those roadside billboards we drive past everyday? Vinyl – the same stuff that many common household items are constructed from. Vinyl is a polymer material which does not biodegrade. And each month, tens of thousands of vinyl signs end up in landfills when the roadside advertisements are changed.Enter Freakin’ Billboard — a local business that has found a way to give new life to several of those landfill-destined signs. Freakin’ Billboard is a company which produces a variety of fashion bags from the durable weather-and-waterproof signs.

Geist resident Ann Stark and her business partner, Beth Mast, came upon the idea last summer. Both of their husbands are in the billboard sign business, so they were acutely aware of how this high-quality material could and should be recycled. By putting their feminine creativity to work, they crafted designs for several styles of bags, including: handbags, totes, clutches and messenger bags.

Back in October, Stark and Mast began the business by making arrangements with local seamstresses and a pattern-maker for the production of the bags, and then set to work cleaning the billboard vinyl and cutting out the designs.

“By December, we had the first bags ready for sale, and we started out just selling to friends and family,” explains Ann. “At the present time, we’re only offering them online, but we do occasionally sell them at craft shows.”

The feedback they’ve received about their products has been overwhelmingly positive, and it’s no wonder. All of the bags featured on their website are visually striking while being practical in their design for everyday use. Their fashionable character will appeal to women of all tastes. And the benefit to purchasing this type of bag is twofold: You know you’re helping the environment, and you know it will be 100 percent “Made In America.”

According to Stark, “We’re just starting out and still in the process of learning about this business, but we’re having a great time while doing it.” She says they’ve already found it necessary to contract with a larger pool of sewing professionals in Chicago in order to fulfill some large purchase orders. “But Beth and I still clean and cut out each design to ensure it will capture the right flair,” Stark adds.

She points out, “The signs, themselves, are 48-foot by 14-foot, so we can get about 90 bags out of each billboard, depending on the size of the bags being produced. We have what seems as an unending supply of billboards, so we’re excited to see how far we can take our business.”

In fact, these enterprising women are now in the process of creating new designs to add to their collection, which may include belts, pet leashes and collars, backpacks, raincoats and other clothing.

Freakin’ Billboards is still in its infancy, but it looks like it has a promising future. Check out all of their products online at www.freakinbillboard.com. You can also email them at info@freakinbillboard.com, or call 317-354-1424. When you do, you might want to inquire about hosting a home party, where guests can select a specific design from of one of the billboards. That way you can have it custom-made according to your taste.

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