Lamar Advertising Company

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The Lamar Advertising Company is a provider of billboards, transit advertising and highway logo signs. It was founded in 1902 by John McClay Coe as the Pensacola Advertising Company, a poster company to promote productions at Coe's Opera House. Charles W. Lamar, Sr. joined as Coe's business partner in 1905. According to company lore, when the two dissolved their partnership in 1908, a coin flip was used to divide their assets. Coe "won" and got the Opera House, whereas Lamar received the less lucrative poster company.

Lamar and his family grew the company into one of the largest outdoor advertising providers in the world. Its headquarters was moved in (date needed) to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and in 1996 the company made its first public stock offering on NASDAQ.

The Pensacola office is located at 1401 North Tarragona Street, in the Long Hollow neighborhood.