Longtime Manager Leaves Cumulus to Focus on Sign Business

Joe Conway recently walked away from a career in the radio industry that spanned nearly 30 years. But that isn’t a bad thing.

Conway told Whispers he left his job with the local Cumulus Media Inc. stations, where he held titles from general manager to account executive for more than a decade, to focus solely on his “other” endeavor, as the owner of Arkansas Sign & Banner in Bentonville.

Conway bought ASB in October 2007, but he kept his full-time job with Cumulus until just recently.

“I sold [for Cumulus] and Cindy [Conway’s wife] learned the sign business,” he told Whispers. “A lot of hard work on the part of many people allowed us to grow.”

Earlier this year, ASB expanded when it moved into a refurbished, 7,680-SF building at 1914 S. Walton Blvd. Conway bought the building — formerly Queen City Furniture — in 2014 from Dan Writt for $550,000.

And it appears the relocation to a larger, more modern headquarters has afforded Conway additional opportunities to grow his business.

“It’s gotten to the point where it needs all the attention I can give it,” he said. “We’ve been fortunate and Northwest Arkansas has been good to us.”

ASB has grown from nine to 15 employees in the last year (see list on Page 12).