For 15 years, behind an unassuming storefront in downtown Globe, a sign shop has quietly become one of the area’s largest and most relied-upon local businesses.
Though Western Reprographics isn’t widely advertised, its services are indispensable to businesses and agencies around town.
“I'm not sure many people really know Western even exists,” says owner Tanner Hunsaker.
“But we’re a quiet, full-service sign shop focused on in-house brand support for other businesses and organizations,” he adds. “It’s fairly diversified so that it’s really several shops in one able to provide most every service a business needs under one roof.”
In addition to signs of nearly every kind and application, Western Reprographics produces blueprints, wide-format scans, a full gamut of vehicle graphic options, labels and decals, he explains, while also offering state-of-the-art embroidery, t-shirt printing, large format laminating and design services.
Next door sits what Hunsaker calls the “poster child” of his businesses: Topo Joes, a full service bike shop offering gear, apparel, repairs, shuttle rides to the top of the Pinals, and UTV rentals. In just two years, it has become a hub for both local riders and out-of-town cyclists, fostering a sense of a biking community. At any moment, the shop might be filled with local kids seeking bike repairs or tourists gathered outside with their mountain bikes, waiting for a shuttle to the top of the mountain.
Six feet of water: mud and machines
Like other businesses in downtown Globe, both Topo Joes and Western Reprographics were unrecognizable after the destructive September flood.
Topo Joes took on nearly six feet of water. Western Reprographics saw about four and a half feet. With the water came the impossible sludgy mud which seeped into the shops’ equipment and machinery.
“Western lost everything. There wasn't a machine that could be salvaged,” Hunsaker says.
Plastics and aluminum components were beyond repair. More than a dozen machines the shop had accumulated over the years were destroyed.
At Topo Joes, along with the shop’s inventory, tech and tooling, the six Polaris UTVs were submerged in water and mud.
“Luckily they didn't move when the flood hit. They all sat tight because we were on the forced side of the drainage,” Hunsaker says. “Like everyone affected, what can float floated, and everything else was simply buried in the mud.”
The return of a sign shop and a bike shop: a ‘grand reset’
Despite the destruction, Hunsaker says the prognosis is patience and optimism.
“Joe's is coming back, focusing on better than ever,” he says. “And Western is the same, although both hang on loan approvals.”
A bike shop and a sign shop are what people want to see in town, he says.
“People are coming in and sharing that they feel the shops should come back to life because they’re needed services,” he explains. “Ultimately, if folks are willing to reinvest in us, then I will reinvest in them.”
Rather than dwelling on the losses, Hunsaker sees what he calls a “grand reset” for the two shops.
“Because they were wiped clean, I'm able to realign and re-envision what they both should be, because it really is starting over,” he says.
Instead of rushing to reopen, he’s taking the opportunity to rethink both business models — what services to offer, what products to expand, and how the shops can operate more efficiently. Improvements could include updates to the buildings, new lighting, fresh paint, and expanded inventory.
As part of that reset, Hunsaker is putting Polaris rentals on pause.
“We're going to let that go for now and focus on what the original business model was,” he explains, which will include expanding Topo Joes’ inventory and what it offers.
“The really cool thing is the whole grand reset, as I call this, has given me a lot of motivation for continuing, getting Western back on its feet, getting Joe's back on its feet,” he adds.
Safety and repairs
There is still extensive work ahead before either shop can reopen.
After clearing more than 10,000 square feet of mud twice and salvaging what could be saved, Hunsaker remains focused on replacing drywall, sealing floors, repairing plumbing and electrical systems, and bringing the buildings back up to city safety standards.
Both structures currently hold yellow tags, meaning their use is restricted until safety concerns identified by city assessments are resolved.
Support from many directions
Both shops qualified for United Fund grants through Local First Arizona, and Hunsaker has been working and waiting on approval for an SBA loan in order to reopen.
Support from other large format printers is keeping existing and previous orders moving.
Meanwhile, his employees have stayed committed, working alongside him to clean and rebuild.
“The crew is reassuring that they want to continue doing what they do,” Hunsaker says. "If they keep coming work, I'll do all I can to keep them paid."
Support has also poured in from the community — people donating materials such as drywall and wood, offering excavation services, and volunteering hours to help the shops recover.
“I just want to thank everybody from the bottom of our hearts,” Hunsaker says. “We’re still here working everyday. Little steps on a long path."
“Everyone’s fine, everyone survived. The building’s standing,” he adds. “The hope is as strong as the foundation’s, and this one didn't budge.”
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