Four business students from Alpedrete and Los Molinos set up a workshop in a garage in 2022. Today, their company Neon 51 manufactures signs for Sabadell, Allianz, Aperol and clubs like Hï Ibiza and Ushuaïa.
What started as a university project with no investment or experience has turned into a comprehensive signage company with over 1,000 clients. Neon 51 was born in 2022 in a garage between Alpedrete and Los Molinos, where four friends from the Madrid mountains began making neon signs through trial and error. Today, their signs adorn the facades of clubs like Ushuaïa and Hï Ibiza, as well as offices of ING, Allianz, and Caja Rural.
From a garage in the mountains to production in Galápagar
The founders, all business students, had neither a workshop nor prior knowledge. They set up their first workshop in a shared garage between Alpedrete and Los Molinos, where each order was a lesson in tube bending and electronics. "At first, it was tough," they admit from the company about those months when orders were limited to friends and acquaintances.
After mastering the manufacturing process, they launched their own website and began selling to a wider audience. This moment was crucial: neon was experiencing a resurgence as a decorative element in hospitality and retail, and Neon 51 knew how to take advantage of it. That garage, with hardly any resources, served for months as an office, workshop, and warehouse, an origin that the company remembers as part of its internal culture.
From decorative pieces to comprehensive signage
The leap came when the team realised that neon alone limited their growth. Large clients do not seek a standalone piece, but a complete project: design, manufacturing, and installation. Thus, Neon 51 evolved into a comprehensive signage company, expanding its catalogue to include exterior illuminated signs, banners, and complex signage.
This change in scale allowed them to sign projects with brands that have high aesthetic demands. Clubs like Hï Ibiza, Ushuaïa, and Unvrs, or brands like Aperol and Caja Rural require tight deadlines and quality control on large orders, something that Neon 51 has had to professionalise to serve from its plant in Galápagar.
Keys to survive in a traditional sector
The growth of Neon 51 helps to understand what a business looks for today when investing in a sign. LED technology is key compared to traditional opaque signage: if you are not seen, no one enters. In cities like Madrid, attracting attention to the facade is crucial.
Moreover, design has become part of brand identity, not just a functional element. More and more businesses request pieces that reinforce their image and are recognisable on social media, not just visible from the street. Finally, installation and subsequent maintenance are aspects that many underestimate and are crucial for the sign to last for years outdoors.
It is at this point —design, manufacturing, and installation under one provider— where Neon 51 has built its advantage over smaller workshops or those specialised in only one phase of the process.
A serious company with roots in the mountains
Mark Dickens, manager of Neon 51, summarises the journey: "We started by taking advantage of the neon trend, but what has really made us grow is becoming a serious company, capable of handling complex signs and installations nationwide for demanding clients." This dual condition —a company competing for large projects and a business born from scratch in a garage in the Madrid mountains— is now its hallmark.
With a portfolio that combines small businesses, hospitality, and large accounts, the trajectory of Neon 51 is an unusual case: that of a university project that, seizing the right moment and without losing sight of its roots, has ended up creating signs for some of the most demanding spaces in Spain. Production continues in Galápagar, and the company has already installed across the country, demonstrating that it is possible to compete with the big players from the Madrid mountains.
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