Q & A for Dynamic Signs

Ican’t think of a better place to own a sign shop than right on Historic Route 66. Do the iconic neon signs have anything to do with why you have chosen to do this as a career?

We take great pride in keeping Gallup’s iconic neon burning bright along Route 66. We maintain the neon at El Rancho Hotel and Richardson Trading, Co and are currently refurbishing the tree shaped sign at the Blue Spruce Lodge. However, neon is a small portion of what we do. We have other modern options and cuttingedge technologies we offer our customers.

What is the history of your shop? Is this your creation, did you buy it, or did a family member start it?

My dad, Curtis Lengefeld, has been hand painting billboards on Route 66 since the early 1970s. I went along with him from the time I was 3 years old. He would lay out sign boards on the ground for me to ride my tricycle on.

I went to college at University of Central Arkansas, earned a degree in Graphic Art, and then moved to Dallas where I opened a small sign business. I had been away about ten years when I decided to move back to Gallup. I started Dynamic Signs in 2006, and my wife, Rockelle, joined me in 2018.

Gallup is full of some pretty cool signs. Which one is your favorite, why, and did you build it?

There are so many; I have several favorites for different reasons. Sammy C’s sign is special to me because I had the opportunity to design, manufacture, and install it. Indian Touch of Gallup is another example where the customer allowed me freedom with the design, and it is a large unique sign. The full color, video capable, LED sign at R&M Plaza makes the list because the customer told us it was the best advertising money he has ever spent.

All the signs we create are built for the same reason. It’s not just our motto, it’s the reason our business exists, to make local businesses look good. Making your business look good is our business!

Signs can be very complicated, lighting, structure. What are the skills you need to have to make these signs?

To succeed in this business, you must be a Jack of all trades. I enjoy the way I get to do something different every day. You must be a people person, a salesman, a designer, a metal fabricator, a welder, a concrete finisher, and an electrician. It helps a lot if you have a wife who is a Project Manager to keep all of it organized and somewhat on schedule.

What would be your dream sign? Say a company was to contact you to have a sign built, who would you like that to be and how would you envision their sign?

I would love for the New Mexico Tourism Department to commission us to design and create an iconic New Mexico Entrance or Welcome to Gallup Sign. I would create a large sculpture-like work of art with a Route 66 and Gallup theme.

If you have a new sign in mind, contact

Dynamic Signs 505-863-5200 502 East Hwy 66, Gallup, NM