Family-owned company battles billion-dollar competitor in metro Detroit billboard battle

You’re probably feeling the pain at the pump and in the supermarket, as inflation is real and small businesses in Detroit subway they have to fight harder and, in some cases, fight multi-million dollar corporations to survive.

It’s the business of billboards and a small billboard company struggling to survive.

About 150,000 cars pass the “Injustice Anywhere Is a Threat to Justice Everywhere” billboard on I-75 and 13 Mile Road every day.

Local 4 didn’t know the battle for competition on billboards was fierce.

“You struggle every day and you struggle as a small business owner,” Oram said. “You fight with courage and you fight with your family involved.”

And we didn’t know in one case, Oram’s International Outdoor

It is genuinely a family operation.

“My wife works there,” Oram said. “She is CFO and main owner. My son works there as our COO.”

Oram is from Iraq. When he sees your signs, he sees your American dream.

“You have to get up in the morning and hope and pray that things go your way and that everything works out,” Oram said.

The National Federation of Independent Business confirmed that small businesses are struggling.

When Oram faced off against a billion-dollar billboard company, he won. He said he was ecstatic, but the deal was reversed.

The incident proved to be the true testament of David against Goliath.

“You believe in the American dream,” Oram said. “Justice and the competitive process on a level playing field.”

Amanda Fisher of the National Federation of Independent Business says big companies can’t live without small ones.

She says the big boys need to help the little ones.

“What is happening is support, on the one hand, which means we want to give money and give things to companies; on the other hand, we want to hurt them, and small businesses are being decimated in the middle of this anyway,” Fisher said.

When we see billboards, we don’t see the small businesses behind them that are struggling. But Oram says he and his company fight every day.

Oram says fighting a court ruling over a billboard settlement takes time, money, energy and time away from focusing on the family business.

The biggest problem for small businesses is staffing, as there are many jobs available, but people don’t apply for jobs.