> Ruggles Sign Company is truly a family owned and operated business. John F. Ruggles, Jr. -founder of Ruggles Sign Company-grew up in Corbin, Kentucky, where his father operated a paint and wallpaper store. John, Jr. studied at the University of Kentucky and held aspirations of one day becoming an attorney. However, when a nearby neon sign shop went on the market (in Corbin), John, Sr. purchased the business. His son, John, Jr., was put to work in the shop to learn the trade of neon tube bending. Shortly thereafter, John, Jr. went to work for three months without pay to learn more about the neon trade at a business in Asheville, North Carolina. Upon his return to his hometown, he discovered a large hailstorm had wrought extensive damages to signs all over Corbin. He recalled at this point, \"I got busy and learned the trade the hard way.\" Ester Ruggles vividly remembers watching his older brother, John, Jr., carefully shaping the neon tubes and filling them with gas. As a high school student, Ester dabbled with neon tube bending alongside his brother, in their father\'s sign shop.