About Us

My name is Forest Dukes, and I'm the owner/designer of Dukes Decals. I have always enjoyed using my creativity to express myself, have fun, and make people happy. That's exactly what I get to do everyday running my shop. I consider myself very fortunate to be in this position, and am thankful that my journey has brought me here. I've not always been able to live this little dream of mine, and the following is a little more about how I got here.

For the majority of my adult life, I had been working in a corporate/sales type of setting at the same location for over 13 years. While this type of position did not necessarily allow for "maximum creative output", it did teach me invaluable lessons in customer service, how to listen to people, and many other skills. The time I spent in that type of business world helped shape me today, and I am glad that I learned the lessons that I did as they've become essential in my commitment to my own personal venture as a small business owner. As can be typical with incredibly large corporations, there are times when changes happen in dramatic and quick fashion. Before long, I was out of a job and our office was closed. Not too long thereafter, my (now) wife Melissa saw an ad for a printing business and website that was for sale. It was a business geared toward firefighters, first responders, and other safety personnel specializing in using reflective vinyl. When she saw the ad, she though of me…. my goodness i"m so glad she did! It changed my life forever - in a great way. I took the plunge, purchased the equipment, the artwork, and the business, and I hit the ground running in January of 2014 and haven't looked back. It's been a tremendously challenging and exciting adventure, and I wouldn't change a thing about the path I've chosen. I'm working full-time for myself, and while it's difficult at times, I'm continuing to grow both personally and professionally so I couldn't be happier.

Dukes Decals (and more specifically it's quirky designs and ideas) started taking shape right away as an outlet and vehicle for my more creative, fun, and unique designs that don't necessarily fit the safety industry. Much of it has been influenced by my hometown of Washougal, Washington and surrounding areas including Skamania County in which I live. Our county literally has laws on the books protecting Sasquatch - it's a "Sasquatch Refuge". In addition, I'm influenced by nature itself, being outside, odd random thoughts that strike me at irregular times, books, sci-fi and fantasy themes, games, and much more. My shop is a humble little space in our small town, and fits me perfectly. Washougal is nestled at the influx of the Washougal River into the Columbia River and there are so many things to do here and nearby. It's a perfect spot for fans of all sorts of activities. You should come visit and when you do, pop into the shop and say hello!

Here are a few more juicy tidbits I'll share with you about Dukes Decals:

~Everything is produced by me. From concept to design, printing to production, packaging to shipping: I'm involved in every aspect of your next favorite decal's journey into your hands.

~As I mentioned, my shop is humble and I'm the only employee - this should make you feel very good, as you can be assured that I'm intensely focused on creating a great experience for you. From fun designs, to excellent communication and customer service, my goal is (and always will be) to grow through great service and (hopefully) your positive feedback and word of mouth.

~I purchase as many materials, goods, and supplies in my area as possible, as I believe in supporting (fellow) small local businesses.

~Over the years I've done countless pieces of custom work for hundreds of customers both locally and nationally including various fire departments, schools & organizations, local businesses, etc. If you have a design that you're dreaming of, or want to customize one of my designs, please don't hesitate to contact me. I love doing custom work!

If you have read this far, THANK YOU! I appreciate it. Hopefully you feel like you know more about me, my shop, and how things are done around here at Dukes Decals. I want you to feel comfortable about doing business with me, so if you have any questions or just want to reach out, please feel free to shoot me an email: forest_at_dukesdecals_dot_com.

Thanks for coming by Dukes Decals!