A Trip to the Sunshine State
Internships can take you places - if you let them. In this post, Thomas Welling shares his experiences on the road job shadowing our sales team in Florida.
Daktronics Intern on 7/15/2025
Categories: High School Sports
When Jesse Ulrickson, Daktronics Southeast sales representative for Out Of Home, and Erik Timko, Daktronics Southeast sales representative for High School Park and Rec (HSPR), On Premise, proposed a possible trip to Florida to shadow Erik, I jumped on the opportunity. Not only would I be able to see a part of the country I have yet to explore, but I would gain valuable insight and industry knowledge.
East Bound and Immersed: Lessons from Lee County to Miami
When I arrived on Monday, we hit the road running, and after a brief lunch, we were meeting with Ryan from Signs by Crannie at a potential site. We helped take site measurements and I quickly got a crash course in Lee County’s signage codes. Florida’s regulations are vastly different from the areas I’ve worked in before.
Come Tuesday, we were (as Jerry Reid said) East bound and down, headed for the vice city. We would be spending the coming 2 days there and had multiple stops planned within the Greater Miami area. We started off with a visit to Kemp Signs where a sales representative, Mike, gave me an extensive tour of their facility and introduced me to everyone. This was a very cool experience as I not only got to see their new signs in the multiple stages of production, but one of the oldest McDonald's signs in the U.S. as well. We continued the day by heading to a one-of-a-kind indoor sportsplex facility being built, which has full LED displays inlayed under a clear floor. Erik and I talked over both quotes with the gentlemen that we met there
and informed them of Daktronics sound systems to which
they were previously unaware existed.
From AD to HSPR: Learning the Playbook from Erik Timko
Wednesday was a blur of activity with 2 meetings scheduled and a drive back across the state on the famous Alligator Alley. After our two meetings, which included a site visit and a lunch meeting with Advanced Multi Sign, we hit the road heading west. As I traveled with Erik, I learned more about his unique background and how he started with Daktronics. Erik came from a sports background and had been an athletic director for years. This gives Erik a unique first-hand experience on the consumer side of the HSPR market. Traveling with Erik gave me a deeper understanding of both our industry and our customers. Seeing how he applies his athletic director background to sales was eye-opening, and I’m already thinking of ways to apply his strategies to my own approach moving forward.
From Squad Cars to Scoreboards: The Wisdom of Bret Dunn
My Florida excursion was not over, however. Throughout my trip with Erik, Bret Dunn had reached out to me about tagging along with him for the day up in the Tampa area. I hopped back in the car Wednesday night and headed North to meet up with Bret the following day.
While with Bret, we were able to hit two sign companies and talk over coming projects, feedback from installers, and ask what we could do to help them. While Bret and I were unable to make a sales visit, I still learned a lot from sitting in on these two sign company visits and having lunch with him.
Bret has a background in so many different facets that it was hard to keep track of. A single label could not describe the ex-police officer, teacher, coach, real estate agent, and now salesman. Bret had a wealth of knowledge and some very outside-of-the-box sales strategies, including highlighting how amazing DakClassroom is for students. Bret explained that while the Athletic Directors can see the value, you have to sell the principal or board of trustees as well. This adds value not only to the sports programs at the school but the education of students as well.
Culture, Collaboration and Growth
This trip to Florida was more than just a professional development opportunity; it was a glimpse into the culture, collaboration and people that make Daktronics, Daktronics. I walked away with valuable industry and company knowledge, new strategies to improve my sales approach, and a deeper appreciation for the experience and creativity that Erik and Bret bring to our team. I’m grateful for the opportunity, and I hope other interns take advantage of similar chances to learn from others on their team.
