Local craftsman customizes man caves

Maryville Man Cave owner Jeremy Walker stands with a few of the many LED signs he creates. All of his signs can be found and purchased on the Maryville Man Cave Facebook page.

Maryville native Jeremy Walker is four years into his business, Maryville Man Cave, a custom LED sign company.

From Northwest Missouri State University Bearcats to Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, and Sporting KC, to any area Division I teams, Walker can customize signs for most all area sports fans.

While he didn’t start out making the sports memorabilia, it was his interest in giving back to his community that got him making things for local sports enthusiasts.

“I started out my business making neon lighting signs for things like Budweiser,” Walker said of Maryville Man Cave. “I wanted to start donating my works to causes I felt strong about, but it was hard to donate a neon beer sign to a cause like DARE, so I began making Bearcat signs.”

Walker’s creation quickly became a hit at the local fundraisers for DARE, Nodaway County Relay for Life, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Nodaway County.

“I enjoyed giving to the charities, so I decided that I would only make the green Northwest signs for charities,” Walker said. “I’ve made 10 total so far and I have donated five of them.”

Walker said his signs have brought between $300 and $500 at the fundraiser auctions.

“It’s about community, and being a part of it,” Walker said of his in-home business donations.

While Maryville Man Cave is a side business, Walker said he’s not in it for the money. With aspirations of getting more involved in the community once his personal schedule clears up, Walker said this is his way of making Maryville a better place. It just so happens to be through something he enjoys.

“Everyone needs a hobby, and I like to do this,” he said. “And I like giving back to things that mean a lot to me.”

The signs that he doesn’t donate, Walker sells through his Maryville Man Cave Facebook page, at the new Minnie Lane shop on the downtown square in Maryville, and other locations in Iowa and Kansas City.

“I have a few places that sell them, but Minnie Lane has the biggest selection and the newest creations,” Walker said. “I started out just doing signs for Royals, Chiefs, and Sporting, but now I also have D-I teams like Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, and Iowa.”

Walker has also created custom signs for various divisions of the military, and has even completed football-shaped signs for both the Spoofhounds and Bearcats.

Walker will be taking his signs to the Northwest Missouri State Fair in Bethany this September.

“I got a call from someone who sets it up and they said they’re looking for new vendors,” Walker said. “I thought it would be a great way for me to get my brand out there.”

While Walker has no interest in making his business into a full-time venture, he would like to expand his market some.

“I do want to get myself out there because I don’t think there are a lot of people who know about Maryville Man Cave,” he said. “But this isn’t something I want to do full-time. I think once you start trying to do something you love for a living, you start to not love it anymore, and I don’t want that.”

For more information on Walker and his Maryville Man Cave signs visit the Maryville Man Cave Facebook page.