History
Safety Signal Company was co-founded and incorporated in 1969 by two brother-in-laws, Dave Bussey and Jim Shirley. The company was located in Forest Park, Georgia and initially focused its direction in serving the barricade rental needs for local city and county road departments, as well as for other new construction projects. At that time, the primary product used for road safety warning was the Type I Barricade with a flasher light. The company manufactured the barricades at the Forest Park location and quickly made a name for itself by providing this rental service around the clock, 24/7, allowing for any emergency situation a customer may have.
As the city of Atlanta and the surrounding metro area began to grow and expand, the traffic increases began to impact not only the Atlanta area but respectively the entire state of Georgia. Road construction began to be necessary in almost every area at once. Safety Signal was called upon to help the municipalities address their changing needs. The two owners of Safety Signal were visionary in anticipating these needs and rapidly adapted their focus on new services and devices that were being developed and used to make the roadways safer. The company relocated to a larger facility in Jonesboro, Georgia to continue to provide the best equipment available to its customer base. A Sign Shop was implemented in order to fabricate the various signage that was now being used to alert, warn, and regulate drivers.The company was recognized as a leading provider and supplier of traffic safety products and services by the Georgia Department of Transportation.
At this time, all across the country was experiencing the similar growth and development as we were seeing in the Atlanta area and throughout the state of Georgia. While there had always been a standard in place for State-to-State highway and road transportation and travel, an awareness emerged that some type of uniform standard for traffic control was now needed. This became a federal as well as a state issue. Understanding the gravity of this, both Dave and Jim joined the American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA); ATSSA is a national trade association made up of companies and individuals who actively work in the traffic control and road safety industry. This alliance has been instrumental in mandating a nationwide cooperation and upgrade in all aspects of the traffic control industry. ATSSA currently trains and certifies individuals who work in the numerous fields of this vast industry to insure a uniform standard of qualifications are maintained.
In 1980, Safety Signal moved its operations to a larger facility in Union City, Georgia where it remains today. Though Dave and Jim are now both deceased, Safety Signal Co., Inc. is currently owned by Dee Shirley, and is still family operated. Safety Signal meets all criteria outlined in federal regulations and is certified in the States of Georgia, Tennessee, and Florida as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) firm. The company remains committed to the same work ethic and customer-oriented goals of its founders. Safety Signal is determined to continue to influence the course of our industry by providing the best possible traffic control and safety products and services in the most timely availability all at the most reasonable cost.