Joe & Toni Hayes grew up in separate parts of the bi-county area. Toni grew up outside of West Frankfort and went into nursing after obtaining degrees and certifications from John A Logan and SIU Edwardsville. Joe was born and raised in rural Williamson County. His educational focus at John A Logan and SIU Carbondale centered around agricultural studies. He met Toni during their time at John A Logan. They married and had two children, Jacob, and Laura. In their early careers, Toni worked several years at Carbondale Memorial Hospital in several roles including admissions and house call / home care nursing. Joe worked for a national agricultural company in sales and marketing. After 22 years, Joe left the company after a merger cut his department. Though both received awards in their fields, they decided to redirect their energies into a business they could invest and grow into while continuing to raise their family in the Marion area. 

In 1999, they bought Graphics Galore, a small awards and sign shop in Marion. After buying it, they worked together at growing their new business and became knowledgeable in the industry. In the first few years, they moved into a larger space. They bought their first laser engraver in 2001, one of the first of its kind in the southern Illinois area. Early on they joined the Awards and Recognition Association and attended conferences to learn about the newest trends or equipment to better serve their customers. They both received CRS (Certified Recognition Specialists) through educational training sessions at these shows. Over the years their association involvement grew to include serving on committees, judging show booths, serving on an expert laser engraving discussion panel, and teaching seminars. Back home, though computerization and digitalization, they began offering a wider variety of products based on their needs of their customers. 

Their business reached outside the scope of most awards shops as they branched out into industrial engraving and signage for companies within our region. Some of their largest customers were industrial. Other customers included banks, hospitals, Ameren, equipment manufacturers, area schools, John A Logan & other regional junior colleges, SIU, civic organizations, local government agencies/facilities & many local businesses. Because of their Braille signage certification, larger contractors, architects, and other sign companies worked with them as a supplier for Braille signage. Over the years they were honored to been involved in larger memorial projects and dedications, spanning across the region and other parts of the state. 



Within the community, they were involved in countless projects, supplying insights and recommendations to meet the needs of their clients. They did not over commit their time due to the nature of their business and their family. They are proud of their children. Jacob is a Civil engineer working as a manager over Quality Control for Swift & Staley in Paducah, KY. His company is a contracting firm working for the Department of Energy. Jake and his wife have four boys. Laura is CPA (Certified Public Accountant) with a master’s in accountancy working as a Senior Manager for Ernst & Young (EY) in St. Louis MO - one of the largest multinational professional services networks. Her specialty is Corporate Taxes for large national and international firms. 

In 2020, they decided to transition into the next phase of their lives. Once they found the right buyer, they were able to hand over the business with little interruption to their clients and customers. 

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