Special Advertising supplement
:Trendsetters sign builder illustrated 2016
Innovators & Visionaries of Signage
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LED trendsetter 2016
“We speak sign language….”
At Principal LED (P-LED), we focus exclusively on solutions directed at sign fabricators and installers. P-LED believes innovation is central to our business strategy, going back to the inception of the company over five years ago. Most recently, we released the patent-pending Powerline and Powerstik series. These modules are the first “True AC” LED systems for the sign industry that operate directly from 120VAC input without the need for power supplies. “I believe AC LED technology represents the future of LEDs in the sign industry,” says J. Bryan Vincent, partner at Principal LED. “Power supplies are the Achilles heel for LED systems and removing the primary point of failure creates a compelling ROI for signs in remote and difficult-to-service locations. At P-LED, we don’t just innovate in a vacuum. Our team understands signs and the needs of sign makers and installers. “We are a market-first technology company,” says Bryan. “Our solutions and innovations center around signs. The principal is the simple fact that signshop.com
we exist to help our customers and respond to their needs. This is a subtle, but important distinction.” One of the trends we are seeing is consolidation in manufacturing due to increased operating and regulatory costs. More and more customers are focusing on either just manufacturing or just installation—meaning less and less “full-service” sign companies. In either case, labor costs are rapidly increasing. We recognized this trend several years back and developed a two-fold strategy. First we made an investment in a new 10,000-square-foot facility with assembly space. This allowed us to provide a full range of T-12 LED replacement products, giving the installation-only customer access to ready-to-install retrofit products. The assembly operation has also allowed us to provide value-added sub-assemblies to wholesalers and full-service sign shops. “One of the things we noticed was sign shops peeling and sticking hundreds of modules into the backs of not only channel letters but sign cabinets,” says Blake Vincent,
partner at P-LED. “Whether it be a pre-assembled ‘Stik’ product or one of our Street Fighter modules with a batwing optic that reduces module count, we have focused on reducing labor and simplifying installation with our systems.” Second we invested in customer support and delivery. We made a major technology investment in CRM tools that allows our personnel to review any customer’s entire history with us at the click of a button. We also have invested in warehouse management software that allows us to get materials efficiently to our distributor partners. One thing that automation and technology advances lead to is consolidation. Through attrition or acquisition, I believe we will see fewer and fewer sign fabricators. I also believe the same holds true for electrical component manufacturers. Last year, we acquired the assets of Transco 2 Go and Ventex. We’re forming a consolidated company called Ventex Technology, LLC with an office in Columbia, South Carolina. “We are committed to supporting the entire electric sign industry,” says Bryan. “This means access to centralized sources of LEDs, as well as neon and LED drivers and other value-added electrical components and sub-assemblies. “Our support and growth strategy will be a combination of innovation, geographic expansion, and strategic acquisitions.” To view the new information-rich Web site, visit www.p-led.com.
December 2015 // SBI Trendsetters
TS1
LP PT
EX
EC
YA
LP
PG
EX
YA
PT
PG
EC
PT
LP
EC
EX
LP
YA
Novacryl® Designer Series Photopolymer
EX
YA
PG
World leading substrates for ADA Braille and Accessible Room Identification Signage
PG
PT
NovaPolymers.com/Creativity EC
LP PT
EX
EC
YA
PT
PT
LP
PT EC
EX
EC PT
YA
LP EC
EC LP
PT
Addresses the need for LP creative solutions for EX more architectural designers
The greenest and most EC line of signage versatile PG photopolymers ever.
PG
Expands selection of EX LP materials available for ADA compliant sign fabrication.
EX YA
LP
YA PG
EX
PG YA
Photoluminescent material for PG architectural and safety sign applications.
The industry’s first YA exterior-grade pure, photopolymer resin.
Clear adhesive layer allows PG aluminum face brushed appearance.
PG
YA EX
Novacryl® Series Photopolymer is the world’s leading substrate for ADA Braille and Accessible Room Identification Signage. Novacryl® has the most diverse range of substrates available and allows for unlimited design while being environmentally responsible. Don’t sacrifice your design to comply. Novacryl® allows your creativity to flow free and make your ideas possible.
novapolymers.com
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888.484.6682
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info@novapolymers.com
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North America
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Canada
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Middle East
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Australia
ADA trendsetter 2016
“Change is the only constant….” The built environment has changed. Material usage, design aesthetics, and technology continually shape the spaces we occupy. Often the architectural and design (A&D) community waits until the last minute to think about signage; ironic because, without the proper signage, it is impossible for a new building to get its Certificate of Occupancy. It’s also a lost opportunity to maintain the design intent throughout the space. All permanent rooms and spaces in facilities that allow access to the public are required by law to be identified by ADA-compliant Braille signage. Thus mandatory Braille signs, when done correctly, give the designers an opportunity to enhance the overall environment.
Another opportunity is in healthcare, as it continues to dominate new construction and renovations. Studies have shown that the look and feel of a space impacts a patient’s overall well being. Imagery, color, and text used in signage play a significant role. Wayfinding and room identification signage must evolve with the needs of these facilities. As we continue to develop
signshop.com
new products in conjunction with educating architects and designers about signage and accessibility codes, we see a shift in the way the community is looking at signage. The days of boring-blue, onepiece restroom signs are over. Today we have photopolymer ADA solutions that incorporate recycled materials, natural bamboo, fabrics, wood grains patterns, and more. Photopolymer and the ADA As times continue to change, so too do the materials used for signage. Today Nova has six different types of photopolymer material in the NovAcryl Designer Series—NovAcryl ECR, NovAcryl PT, NovAcryl LP, NovAcryl EX, NovAcryl YA, and NovAcryl Permaglow. Each material type has been developed to meet a specific need in the market. A few years ago, the commercial building market put a huge emphasis on green materials. Nova Polymers answered by converting to a 40 percent recycled PETG for the Novacryl PT Series. Later we developed the ECR product line that offers encapsulated materials in the sign base. Likewise the Novacryl LP Series followed next, as the need for wood grains entered the market. After a new law was passed in NJC for all high-rise buildings to have photoluminescent egress, Nova partnered with American Permalight and introduced Novacryl Permaglow. For hospitals, a continuing struggle is HAIs (hospital acquired
infections). How can signage help to prevent HAIs? Signage is a part of the patient’s environment and not only is Nova looking at materials to enhance the design elements of healthcare, but we’re also looking at antimicrobial options for signage to help make our hospitals safer. Accessibility and Education Nova has been an AIA Continuing Education provider for a decade now, and we continue to push accessibility education to signs companies, architects, and designers in the U.S. We also offer educational programs in other countries with emerging accessibility codes. Nova has developed three educational Webinars that are open to the public. The first is held monthly and explains the advantages of photopolymer and the different types of photopolymers. The second is held quarterly and focuses on ADA and Accessibility codes. The third is on our Workflow Manager and helps sign companies and designers understand how to create ADA-compliant signage. We’re developing a new white paper series focusing on the main areas of the ADA related to accessible signs. The first deals with Typography and was launched in November. The others will be released over the next few months. —Mike Santos, director of Sales & Marketing For more information about Webinars, visit www.novapolymers. com/webinars.
December 2015 // SBI Trendsetters
TS3
ChannelBender Series ÂŽ
automated channel letter bending systems
don’t just make channel letters
Make Art equipment, materials, and expertise
www.channelbender.com
AdamsTech
Benders trendsetter 2016
AdamsTech
“We’ve been here for nearly twenty years, and we are here to stay….” AdamsTech has been a leading innovator in several manufacturing and fabrication industries since its founding nearly twenty years ago. We were the first company to introduce highly precise, automated bending of flat metal coil to America in 1996. Since our founding, we have continued to work with our global manufacturing partners and suppliers to continuously refine and improve automated metal fabrication processes and technologies. Our dedication to the improvement of existing technology, combined with our development of revolutionary materials and techniques, enables our customers to increase their productivity, efficiency, and most importantly, their profitability. We provide the cutting-edge design, engineering, materials, and processes that give our customers the advantage in this highly competitive, imageconscious sign industry. There are three primary challenges facing our manufacturing customers in the sign industry: increased price competition, the need for greater efficiency, and the ability to create impact. Traditional channel letters have remained relatively unchanged for decades, which poses two problems. First, more manufacturers have the ability to produce these common channel letters, which has drastically increased competition and squeezed margins. Tighter margins require fabrication efficiency at levels never seen before, and signshop.com
sign builders were desperate for equipment that is faster, more accurate, and less wasteful than the antiquated equipment they had been using for years. We responded to their demands with the introduction of the Super ChannelBender, which increases
profile channel letters. Our patented, proprietary LetterBox and brand new LetterForm coil materials— which can only be processed on our Super ChannelBender and Eco ChannelBender—have brought trimless letter fabrication into the twenty-first century. Our
productivity up to 26 percent, reduces waste by as much as 97 percent, and decreases labor by about 40 percent. Second, people are becoming desensitized to traditional signage, and it takes innovative solutions for businesses to differentiate themselves and grab consumers’ attention. We have delivered several revolutionary solutions— LetterBox, LetterForm, and LiquiLetter—to better enable our customers to create high-impact signage. We have noticed two growing trends in the sign industry affecting channel letter manufacturing in particular. More projects specify trimless channel letters or low-
UL-approved proprietary LiquiLetter resin process allows for the fabrication of low-profile channel letters as shallow as 3/4-inch yet still delivers outstanding illumination characteristics. AdamsTech is strategically positioned to meet the needs of the huge international manufacturers and wholesalers as well as those of the smaller, high-end, custom fabricators. We continue to answer the calls of customers, which have gone unanswered by our competition. —James Cross, ChannelBender Product Manager To learn more about AdamsTech, visit www.channelbender.com.
December 2015 // SBI Trendsetters
TS5
Experience the new ColorPainter™ H3-104s
ColorPainter Printers from OKI: The new print revolution A leader in the print technology industry, OKI is dedicated to furthering the innovative line of ColorPainter wide-format printers.
The new ColorPainter H3-104s offers 104-inch, wide-format
OKI delivers leading-edge print solutions with unmatched
printing with brilliant, saturated colors and impressive speed—
performance that helps drive efficiency, productivity—and
up to 609 square feet per hour. Designed for mid- to high-
profits.
volume printing environments where image quality and
Customers can expect exceptional product quality and reliable support they’ve come to know from ColorPainter, but now as part of OKI, have access to an expanded portfolio of
Bigger Format. Bolder Graphics. Blazing-fast Speed.
speed are top priorities, the ColorPainter H3-104s shatters expectations, delivering stunning graphics at a rate that redefines print shop productivity.
commercial print solutions.
Learn more about ColorPainter printers: www.okidata.com/wide-format ColorPainterInfo@okidata.com
800-264-1272
The wide-format printing group of Seiko Instruments (SII) joined OKI on October 1, 2015. © 2015 OKI Data Americas, Inc. OKI, Reg. T.M. Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd., Reg. T.M. Oki Data Corporation. ColorPainter is a trademark of OKI Data Infotech.
roll to roll trendsetter 2016
“Commitment to growth through an expanding line of printers….” OKI Data Corporation’s recent acquisition of the wide format printer business from Seiko Instruments represents a key investment by the company within the professional printing market. “We are dedicated to the success of the wide format line and the collaborative development of other new and innovative printing solutions for the commercial printing and sign markets,” says Masahiko Morioka, president and CEO of OKI Data Americas. Since its inception in 1972, OKI Data Americas has sold and shipped more than 16 million printers, including single function and multifunction printers, serial impact dot matrix printers, label and point-of-sale printers, and the proColor™ series of professional-grade digital production printers. “Bringing ColorPainter™ into the OKI family is another step forward in the evolution of the brand,” says Fabrizio Soto, general manager of Wide Format Division at OKI Data Americas. “OKI will continue to offer a comprehensive line of premium printing solutions to help improve both productivity and profitability.” Invest in Growth Investments in premium printing equipment that produces the highest quality print with the fastest productivity and at the lowest cost can provide a platform to help gain more margin or to compete with other market segments like signshop.com
commercial offset or grand format PSPs. Premium printing equipment allows print shops to have fewer pieces of equipment and less production labor. It also allows shops to turn jobs faster than competition and to be more flexible in their workflow. For example, if you are producing jobs at 120 square feet per hour, but an upgrade allowed you to produce quality work at a minimum of 350 square feet per hour, you could take on larger jobs and be profitable in more ways. Equipment with high or even average running costs do not produce work with enough margin for growth and future investment. When considering a wide format printer upgrade, one of the best starting points is to calculate monthly ink costs. In many cases, an upgrade is justified on the basis of a larger volume of printing at a lower cost per square foot. It is not uncommon for sign shops to save between eight and ten cents per square foot of ink
coverage, running as few as three rolls of media per week, and realizing savings of $700 to $800 per month. You don’t have to be a big shop to afford new technology but aligning with the right vendor and product is critical to your success. ColorPainter printers from OKI deliver the richest, glossiest colors at fast speeds and on the widest range of substrates. With inks that last longer outdoors without fading, cost less per square foot, and provide excellent color density and image quality, ColorPainter printers provide an excellent ROI. The precision engineering, quality manufacturing, and advanced print technologies are what make ColorPainter printers the preferred solution for print shops that require a durable industrial printer. To learn more about ColorPainter printers from OKI, call 800/2641272 or email colorpainterinfo@okidata.com.
December 2015 // SBI Trendsetters
TS7
Replace the spreadsheets that run your business with the only ERP software designed exclusively for you: KeyedIn速 Manufacturing - Sign Edition
Are you still chasing down the information you need to manage your sign business in disconnected applications, spreadsheets, white boards, phone calls and meetings? Connect your enterprise. Position yourself for profit.
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keyedin.com
software trendsetter 2016
“Not all ERP software is created equally….” The term Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) has become so generic in manufacturing; it’s no wonder people find themselves lost in the sea of software providers. In fact, if you search Google for “sign manufacturing software,” you’ll get 146 million results! There aren’t 146 million software providers, but there are more than enough options to confuse anyone looking at ERP for the first time. Here’s some advice to help you narrow down options that apply to you no matter where you are in a software evaluation process—even if you have never considered ERP. Find a Business Partner When you purchase Cloud ERP, you’re entering into a marriage of sorts with your software provider. You rely on this provider to carry the lion’s share of software responsibility, and you must do your homework to find out how committed your proverbial “spouse” is going to be. ERP is a significant investment for any sign company. You should be confident that your software provider will be responsive, supportive, and aligned with your business goals. In fact, your software provider demonstrates this best by offering technical support, including user groups that give you and your team members an opportunity to help shape the product’s ongoing development. Identify what you want in a business partner and keep that in mind throughout your decisionmaking process.
signshop.com
Make Sure It’s Cloud The Cloud is not a buzzword; it’s the software delivery method that is changing the way companies do business. You know that the Cloud gives you anytime, anywhere, and any device access to your business information. This means your salesperson can reference a quote on his phone in a client’s office, or your installer can view project plans on a tablet at a job site. But it’s also so much more than that. Your team is more likely to use software they find easy to navigate. And the software your team is willing to use gives you better information that you need to run your business. But if you’re still not comfortable with the idea of Cloud software, consider this: When you bank online or use Netflix or Gmail, you’re already using the Cloud! Gain Actionable Business Insights According to the ISA State of the Industry Report 2014, the biggest pain point that sign companies identified, after sign code regulations, is maximizing profit margins. However companies who use ERP software can access real-
time margin reports, comparing actuals with estimated costs. Imagine what this visibility will do for your profitability! ERP built for your industry—sign manufacturing—comes pre-loaded with the processes, reports, and insights that are unique to your business. In other words, you should choose an ERP provider that helps you confidently make business decisions based on the maximum profitability for your company. In summary, it’s no surprise you may be confused in what seems to be innumerable ERP software choices. However my twenty-plus years’ experience in ERP software tells me that you need to find a Cloud-based solution capable of giving you the reporting and analytical insights you need to grow and one that is delivered by a provider who will be your strategic business partner. Visit keyedin.com to see how sign manufacturers just like you have benefited from Cloud ERP. —Lauri Klaus, Founder and CEO To claim your free personalized software demonstration, visit solutions.keyedin.com/SBI.
December 2015 // SBI Trendsetters
TS9
Sign news on the go?
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