IN PROFILE: Douglas “Dok” Hembree

BUSINESS: Owner Dok-Tor Signs

AGE: 61

BACKGROUND: “I was in the Air Force for four years and am a Vietnam veteran. I worked with the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). I am a commercial artist and studied at two junior colleges after I got out of the service.”

FIRST JOB: “I was an usher in a movie theater in Dayton, Ohio.”

YEARS IN BUSINESS: “I’ve been working with signage for 38 years. I’ve been doing signs in Pahrump since I moved here 14 years ago. I also decorate windows for the holidays. Basically I can do everything from billboards to repaint the sign on your door.

I’ve volunteered a lot of time coaching little league and spent a year coaching Pahrump Valley High School JV for a year. I pitch horseshoes and for our Dust Devil events, I gather donations for the raffles.”

PERSONAL: “I play all kinds of sports. I’m in the softball league here and I play golf. I’m a family man and enjoy gathering with friends.”

BUSINESS CLIMATE: “To be successful opening a business in Pahrump, you have to bring two things — a needed service and the ability to support it for as much as six months. Once a year has passed, you begin to build a loyal customer base and benefit from giving good service by word-of-mouth advertising.

The hardest thing about doing business here is not realizing what services are available. Everything is scattered, but if you look, you can find it here.”