THE FOLLOWING IS A WATCHFIRE SIGNS RELEASE
DANVILLE, Ill., October 6, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Watchfire, a leading manufacturer of LED signs, digital billboards, and video displays, today announced the appointment of Doug Waldal as its new CEO. Waldal succeeds Steve Harriott, who is leaving the company to take a position as the CEO of a private equity-backed, commercial HVAC and plumbing services business.
“I am honored to join Watchfire as CEO at such an exciting time in the company’s growth,” said Waldal. “I am looking forward to working alongside the talented team at Watchfire. The company benefits from a strong leadership team and staff, and I’m committed to continuing the work Watchfire has done to deliver quality and service excellence to our customers. We will remain focused on maintaining our position as a widely recognized, tier-one leader in on premise, outdoor advertising, sports, and indoor digital signage by focusing on innovation, quality, and unparalleled customer service.”
Waldal has deep experience leading businesses that manufacture complex electronic, electromechanical, and engineered-to-order products, and he’s developed a keen understanding of tech-enabled manufacturing and commercial models.
Most recently, Waldal was CEO of 80/20, a private equity-backed, leading provider of premium, configurable modular framing solutions for a range of end markets. Prior to 80/20, he was COO for Echo Engineering & Production Supplies from 2019 to 2021; President and CEO of Nortek’s GTO Access Systems, LLC subsidiary from 2015 to 2018; Vice President and General Manager, Broadcast and AV Solutions for Belden Inc., for six years; and held commercial leadership roles of increasing responsibility for Newell Brands, Inc. Waldal has an engineering degree from the University of Wisconsin and an MBA from Marquette University.
“Doug’s enthusiasm and experience growing organizations, implementing focused “go-to-market” strategies, and driving execution will be instrumental in advancing Watchfire’s next chapter,” said Harriott. “Leading Watchfire has been the privilege of my career, and this team has built a company that sets the standard for our industry. The future for Watchfire is bright. The foundation is strong, the
market opportunity is significant, and this team is second to none.”
About Watchfire:
Watchfire designs and engineers the best-looking, most durable outdoor LED signs, indoor displays, digital billboards, and video scoreboards, which help businesses and organizations communicate effectively, increase visibility, and drive growth. Headquartered in Danville, Ill., Watchfire has manufactured electric signs for over 90 years and LED signs since 1998, using meticulously sourced
components from around the world. Watchfire has more than 70,000 LED signs in operation worldwide and has more digital billboard customers in the U.S. than any other brand. For more information, visit watchfire.com or follow Watchfire on LinkedIn.
