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History
Company History
Giesken Outdoor is celebrating 20 years in the outdoor advertising business.
Giesken Outdoor founder Tom Giesken has always been a hard worker with a heart for people, as well as a visionary. He played four years of varsity college football, two for Bluffton University and two for Ohio Northern University. He was also a professional boxer.
Early on he worked for many years for Louisiana-Pacific Corp. in Ottawa, Ohio. During that time he founded Giesken Enterprises and developed Giesken Gardyn Estates in Glandorf, and acquired other properties, as well. Then he founded the Putnam County YMCA and became its Executive Director for five years, being able to complete a $4 million facility with God’s blessing and the Putnam County community’s help in 2005. Tom worked approximately three years for Root Outdoor Advertising, and then Lamar Advertising in Leasing/Property Management.
During this time, Tom was accountable for a territory with approximately 900 billboards. He procured relationships with government officials as well as with communities of interest. He negotiated contracts and lease agreements with property and business owners over a 20 county region and worked directly with state and local officials and municipalities to acquire the necessary permits for erecting the sign structures. He also built more structures in 1999 than anyone previously in the history of the company as well as being responsible for certain PSA (Public Service Announcement) campaigns within company.
In June of 2000, Lamar Outdoor completed acquisition of all assets of Root Outdoor Advertising. Within a few months, Tom Giesken found himself unemployed. He felt this to be an opportunity and decided to continue in the field of Outdoor Advertising in which he had enjoyed so much success. Tom incorporated his OA company in August 2000, and has been serving people and businesses and their marketing needs since that time.
For five years, Giesken Outdoor Advertising enjoyed great growth and more success as new locations were developed and a few acquired in four states, including Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, and Indiana. GOA grew from 0 to 150 faces over that period of time.
In October of 2005, Giesken Outdoor Advertising, Inc. divested approximately 135 billboards to Key-Ads out of Dayton, Ohio. GOA continues to operate currently the billboards they own in Dearborn, Michigan in the heart of the automotive industry. GOA is a good corporate citizen and enjoys great relationships by being part of the community and many of the Chamber of Commerces there, as well as other civic clubs such as Rotary.
GOA looks forward to the future and serving its clients and friends for years to come.