Sign Builder January 2021 by Sign Builder Illustrated

THE HOW-TO MAGAZINE

JA N UA RY 2021 | S I G N S H O P.CO M

POWERSPORT

WRAPS VINYL IN A WINTER WONDERLAND

SIGN BUILDER

ILLUSTRATED

YOUNG SIGN MAKERS 2021: MEET THIS YEAR'S HONOREES

SCHOOL SIGNAGE:

TEACHING SIGNS & GRAPHICS

CONTENTS JANUARY 2021

VOL. 35

NO. 306

HOW-TO COLUMNS

LIFE BEHIND BARS

By Ashley Bray How one shop makes a living wrapping powersport vehicles.

DEPARTMENTS

Cover Photo: Wide Open Throttle Graphics.

8 32

EDITOR’S COLUMN

Editor Jeff Wooten gives readers a preview of this year’s SBI Young Sign Makers honorees and ties this into how education can prove to be a big tool for the industry.

IN THE INDUSTRY

The Las Vegas Gateway Arches have officially been illuminated, and a creative agency designs multi-dimensional window graphic patterns for its headquarters.

SIGN SHOW

The newest products and services from sign manufacturers.

SHOP TALK

Chris Biscuiti details how International Minute Press in Cary, North Carolina gave back to its customers and community last year.

28 FEATURES

12 16 20

AN NTREPID PROJECT

By Jeff Wooten Transforming walls with exterior-grade MDF and LED lighting.

SCHOOL SIGNAGE

By Jeff Wooten A vocational school teacher finds success teaching signs and graphics.

SPECIAL SECTION

SBI’S YOUNG SIGN MAKERS 2021

By SBI Staff Meet today’s young sign professionals making a mark in the industry: Taylor Blanchett-O’Donnell, Joe Landin, Justin Myers, Vadim Rabinovich, and Zach Wenger.

16 signshop.com

DESTINATION SIGNAGE

By SBI Staff YESCO provides more than 4,200 signs at SLC International Airport.

January 2021

Sign Builder Illustrated

January 2021, Vol. 35, No. 306 Sign Builder Illustrated (ISSN 0895-0555) print, (ISSN 2161-0709) digital is published by Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation

Subscriptions: 800-895-4389

EXECUTIVE OFFICES

President and Chairman Arthur J. McGinnis, Jr. Group Publisher Gary Lynch 88 Pine Street, 23rd Floor, New York, NY 10005 Office: 212-620-7247; Cell: 646-637-5206

EDITORIAL

Editor Jeff Wooten 323 Clifton Street, Suite #7, Greenville, NC 27858 212-620-7244 jwooten@sbpub.com Managing Editor Ashley Bray 212-620-7220 abray@sbpub.com Contributing Writers Chris Biscuiti

ART

Art Director Nicole Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Antona Graphic Designer Hillary Coleman

PRODUCTION

Corporate Production Director Mary Conyers

CIRCULATION

Circulation Director Maureen Cooney mcooney@sbpub.com

ADVERTISING SALES

Group Publisher/Mid-West Sales Gary Lynch Office: 212-620-7247; Cell 646-637-5206 glynch@sbpub.com Integrated Account Manager/East & West Coast and Canada David Harkey 212-620-7223 dharkey@sbpub.com Sign Builder Illustrated is published monthly. All rights reserved. Nothing herein may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher. To purchase PDF files of cover and layouts or hard copy reprints, please call Art Sutley at 212-620-7247 or e-mail asutley@sbpub.com.

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January 2021

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EDITOR’S COLUMN

AGENDA

BY JEFF WOOTEN

Note: Due to COVID-19 concerns, all events listed below are subject to change. Please check each show’s Web site for any cancellations or reschedulings that may have taken place after press time.

APRIL 2021 APRIL 7-9:

The International Sign Association’s ISA International Sign Expo is scheduled to take place in Las Vegas, Nevada. (signexpo.org)

SBI Young Sign Makers 2021

JUNE 2021 JUNE 8-10:

Putting the spotlight on today’s young sign professionals.

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January 2021

high school, vocational, and college students and get them to consider jobs that they may not have realized were available (whether through educational means, job fairs, or the ISA-NAM’s annual Sign Manufacturing Day each October). The one thing you are going to learn from several of this year’s SBI Young Sign Makers is that technology and the variety of project types are very attractive to students today and are reasons that the sign industry, once they learn about it, is an encouraging career possibility for them. A couple of this year’s honorees told us that they wish they had known about sign industry careers back when they were in school. With that in mind, we are also very pleased to present a profile feature about Thomas Lamont (pictured, left), a sign maker who has transitioned into the field of education as a co-teacher of the popular Painting and Design Technology program at an award-winning vocational technical high school in Upton, Massachusetts (p. 16). You will not only see why the signs and graphics segment of this program is proving popular, but you will understand how better to recruit such students to your shop. School’s in session for everyone!

JEFF WOOTEN Editor, jwooten@sbpub.com

JULY 2021 JULY 21-24:

The Mid-South Sign Association’s SignConnexion event will be occurring at the Ross Bridge Golf Resort in Birmingham, Alabama. (midsouthsign.org)

OCTOBER 2021 OCTOBER 6-8:

PRINTING United Alliance, which brings together the largest and most diverse audience in the printing industry, will be taking place in Orlando, Florida. (printingunited.com)

OCTOBER 25-29:

The 2021 LightFair architectural and commercial lighting conference and tradeshow, which will be incorporating new safety protocols and specific mitigration measures, will be occurring at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York City, New York. (lightfair.com) Photo: Thomas Lamont.

ere we are at the start of a brand new year, which means that it is once again time for our yearly “Young Sign Makers” spotlight, which you will find beginning on page 20. This is our fourth-annual special identifying the sign professionals under the age of thirty-five (give or take a few years) that we believe are doing notable, outstanding work in the industry (whether this is through sales, management, production, and/or community involvement). Our “Young Sign Makers”-branded articles profile not only the work that this year’s honorees are doing but also presents their thoughts being a part of the younger generation in the industry and the issues they feel are relevant to other young sign professionals (as well as how they would like to see the industry evolve in the near future). This year’s honorees (with their features presented in alphabetical order) are: Taylor Blanchett-O’Donnell, corporate services manager at Blanchett Neon Ltd. (p. 20); Joe Landin, CEO of BSC Signs (p. 22); Justin Myers, CEO and Owner of Signs By Veterans (p. 24); Vadim Rabinovich, CEO of DaSign Guy (p. 25); and Zach Wenger, Project Manager at Lemberg Electric (p. 27). To read even more about their projects and their perspectives, you can visit their expanded profiles now available on signshop.com. There has been a concentrated push in the industry to open up career paths to

LabelExpo/Brand Print Americas 2021 is rescheduled to commence at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois. (brandprint-americas.com)

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IN THE INDUSTRY

NEW LAS VEGAS GATEWAY ARCHES

AS VEGAS, NEVADA—The City of Las Vegas officially illuminated its new, eighty-foot-tall Gateway Arches on the evening of Wednesday, November 18. The illuminated archway marks travelers’ official arrivals into the city as they head north on Las Vegas Boulevard. The Gateway Arches are located at the base of the STRAT Hotel, Casino, & Skypod, spanning Las Vegas Boulevard between St. Louis Avenue and Bob Stupak Avenue. (Note: While the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign at the south end of the Strip enjoys world renown, many people do not realize it lies outside the City of Las Vegas’ boundaries in unincorporated Clark County, Nevada.) “Las Vegas is known worldwide as 6

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January 2021

the getaway for the best in entertainment, fun, dining, and convention business,” said Mayor Carolyn G. Goodman. “What better way to invite everyone into historic downtown than by passing through this massive, new archway into the heart of a revitalized Las Vegas?” The new Las Vegas Gateway Arches were conceived and designed by Selbert Perkins Design, a multidisciplinary, international design firm that has created some of the world’s most notable brands, iconic landmarks, and branded environments for over thirty years. They were fabricated and installed by YESCO, the one hundred-year-old, Salt Lake City-based company synonymous with Las Vegas’ most iconic signs.

“YESCO has a long history of fabricating, installing, and maintaining Las Vegas’ most internationally recognizable signs, and the Gateway Arches represent the newest monumental addition to that portfolio,” said Jeff Young, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of YESCO. “This project is history in the making, and we’re proud to have partnered with the City of Las Vegas and Selbert Perkins Design to bring it to life.” “Selbert Perkins Design has been designing city gateways, public art and landmarks for over thirty years. We are honored to have worked with the City of Las Vegas to design its newest gateway, which welcomes all to historic downtown,” said Robin Perkins, partner of signshop.com

Photos: YESCO.

ARE AN ILLUMINATING NG S SIGHT

WINDOW GRAPHICS THAT WOW

A total of 13,016 lights make up the Gateway Arches.

WHAT BETTER WAY TO INVITE EVERYONE INTO HISTORIC DOWNTOWN THAN BY PASSING THROUGH THIS NEW ARCHWAY? Selbert Perkins Design. “Our thanks to YESCO for fabricating and installing this complex work. It’s been a fantastic collaboration all around!” The blue illuminated arches form a gateway to the city’s burgeoning Downtown and feature a pink, retro-inspired, 20-by-40-foot, 7,300-pound Las Vegas emblem suspended above the boulevard. (Note: More than 900 LED lamps were installed in the southern face of this hanging cabinet.) Each arch leg spans 140 feet across Las Vegas Boulevard. One leg of the Gateway Arches weighs 18,400 pounds. To install the archway, YESCO drilled four footings twenty feet in depth and four feet wide with a steel reinforced cage. The color-changing sign contains more signshop.com

than 170 IP addresses. There are a total of 13,016 lights that make up the Gateway Arches, which are now illuminated every day beginning at dusk.They are comprised of 13,000-plus RGB LED pucks that are individually programmable and also 700 feet of fully programmable RGBW LED Flex Neon, with each pixel measuring 4.92 inches. The entire arch draws over 61,000 watts of power. “The Gateway Arches are a striking landmark to designate what has long been the gateway from the Las Vegas Strip to the City of Las Vegas,” said Stephen Thayer, vice president and general manager at The STRAT. “We are thrilled that this beautiful monument has been erected just steps away from our iconic tower.”

EATTLE, WASHINGTON—DCG ONE of Seattle is one of the largest privately held marketing service providers on the West Coast. With more than 300 employees and 150 pieces of modern production equipment, DCG ONE recently expanded its growing footp r i n t w i t h t h e a d d i t i o n of a 25,000-square-foot building dedicated to the company’s wide format printing services, including production, packaging, 3D design, packing, and shipping. Wanting to incorporate unique aesthetic appeal into the new building space, DCG ONE decided to take advantage of the building’s large windows, which span roughly fifty feet. The lead designer from DCG O N E ’s p a c ka g i n g a n d re ta i l department designed a mid-century themed window graphic pattern. Using B-free Frosted (JX5796MBFv2) Window Film for Mactac, the graphics were plotter cut on a Summa S2™ T140 (T Series) and installed on both the inside and outside of the windows to provide a multi-dimensional look. Following dry installation techniques, the installation was complete in just one day.

January 2021

Sign Builder Illustrated

SIGN SHOW DIGITAL PRINTING EQUIPMENT/SUPPLIES

DIGITAL SIGNS/EMC/VIDEO DISPLAYS

Epson’s New SureColor V7000 UV Flatbed Printer Prints on Substrates up to Three Inches Thick

Watchfire Signs Introduces the ReadyDisplay Family of Pre-assembled Indoor LED Displays

The entry-level SureColor® V7000 4-by8-foot UV flatbed printer from Epson brings a new level of image quality, productivity, and convenience to print service providers. Capable of printing on a variety of rigid substrates up to three inches thick, the new SureColor V7000 is the manufacturer’s first UV flatbed designed for printing quality outdoor signage, promotional goods, and more. Featuring ten-color UltraChrome® UV Ink (including vivid Red Ink, Gray, opaque White Ink and eyecatching varnish), the SureColor V7000 achieves stunning prints on a variety of media. Designed to exceed flatbed printer expectations, the SureColor V7000 can produce color or threelayer prints with little difference in production speeds by leveraging eight MicroPiezo® printheads. The printhead alignment has been engineered to deliver variable droplets and accurate placement for bright, colorful, tactile prints with low graininess and smooth gradations. The printhead also includes a new circulation system for White ink to limit sedimentation and preserve printhead nozzle integrity. proimaging.epson.com

Watchfire Signs’ ReadyDisplay™ is a new family of preassembled, quick-install LED displays for affordable, indoor video wall construction with minimal disruption. The seamless, high-contrast, glare-free display presents vivid content in any lighting situation. The ReadyDisplay’s easy and quick installation makes it the perfect LED video wall solution for corporate lobbies and conference rooms, colleges, museums, houses of worship, transportation hubs, retail locations, sports facilities, and restaurants/bars. ReadyDisplay signs come pre-assembled and ship in one or two pieces (depending on finished size) and can fit through most interior doorways. Video walls displaying striking, attention-grabbing content can be installed in a single day thanks a mounting systems that's also included. ReadyDisplay is available in six sizes, ranging from 3-by-8 feet to 10-by-16 feet. The S-Series ReadyDisplay edition is a fine pitch display with 2.4mm, 2.9mm, 3.9mm, and 5.9mm resolutions. A high brightness option is available for locations with b r i g h t su n l i g h t . wa tc h f i res i g n s. com/readydisplay

ROUTERS/ENGRAVERS Tormach xsTECH Router Mill Provides Desktop CNC Capabilities Tormach Inc., now offers the xsTECH Router Mill, a ready-to-use tabletop system with full CNC capabilities. The xsTECH is small but features big capabilities for cutting plastics, wood, and aluminum. An ideal starter CNC system for students learning CNC fundamentals, the xsTECH comes ready to run and requires no assembly. It plugs into a standard 120V wall outlet. (Note: For those outside of the U.S., a 230V version is available.) The xsTech Router Mill utilizes Tormach’s award-winning, free PathPilot control software, an incredibly useful tool for teachers and remote educators. PathPilot provides a full software interface for any Tormach machine, including the xsTECH, and allows students to learn CNC programming from a virtual hub. Teachers and students can simply create their accounts on Tormach’s PathPilot HUB site. This allows them to do anything they could do on the actual machine—only as a digital twin. Features on the xsTECH include: 10.4-inch Touchscreen PathPilot Controller; keyboard, mouse, and jog shuttle; WiFi module; electronic tool setter; 16-piece carbide cutting tool set; ER11 collets; and a see-through enclosure for dust control and safe use. tormach.com

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January 2021

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HOW TO

ENGRAVING WRAPS BY ASHLEY BY ASHLEY BRAYBRAY

Life Behind Bars

ounded in February 2019, Wide Open Throttle Graphics in Alberta, Canada started in Owner Chris Thiessen’s basement out of his passion for powersports. Thiessen wraps all types of vehicles, but powersport vehicles make up 95 percent of his business. “I grew up around sleds and dirt bikes,” he says. “I am sentenced to a life behind bars.” Thanks to a growing demand for his wraps, Thiessen’s business soon grew from home-based to a full-service shop. “I started out wrapping graphics to snowmobiles from my basement with just a Roland DG TrueVIS™ SG-540,” he said in a press release. “That machine served me well, so with my workload growing, I decided to upgrade to a TrueVIS VG2-540. “Soon I was able to open a full-service shop offering not only snowmobile wraps but also wraps and graphics for motocross bikes, personal cars and trucks, and fleet vehicles.” (Note: Wide Open Throttle Graphics also offers snowmobile rentals.)

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January 2021

The shop specializes in custom jobs, and Thiessen works closely with his customers to create a design that fits their vision. “I start with a conversation with my customer and try to get a feel for what they are looking for, interests, and what kind of people they are,” he says. “Information is key in creating a specific design for a specific person.” When designing a wrap for a unique medium like powersport vehicles, Thiessen says it’s important to confirm all the information about the customer’s machine so the design is on the proper template. But sometimes the vehicles are so unique or new that no template exists. Thiessen cites the time he created his own template for a hood on a sled that didn’t have one. “It took quite a long time with a pencil, tracing paper, and my small little desktop printer scanner,” he says. “After I had the first draft, I cut it out in a less expensive white vinyl to check fitment. It was slightly off in some spots, so I made adjustments, and I ended up with a

template for the hood of the new Ski Doo Summit and Freeride Factory Turbos.” Color accuracy is also big, especially when the wraps include brand or sponsor graphics. “When it comes to doing graphics that keep customers coming back, it’s crucial to hit specific brand colors like Honda Red, Ski-Doo Octane Blue, and KTM Orange,” he noted in a press release, crediting the color-matching capabilities of his TrueVIS VG2. “I do a lot of test prints when color accuracy is needed. Color swatches are printed and sent to the customer.” Thiessen also offers premade designs in kits that he prints and ships to customers. The kits have helped the shop widen its business beyond Alberta. “Kits have been shipped to Texas, to Nunavut, and everywhere in between,” he says. “I have many U.S. customers and more call every week.” He handles the install on about 50 percent of his designs. “I do ship a lot of kits to the U.S. and other parts of Canada so installing is a little difficult for me to do,” signshop.com

All Photos: Wide Open Throttle Graphics.

How one shop makes a living wrapping powersport vehicles.

HOW TO WRAPS

he says. “I also get customers who try to install themselves and run out of patience, mess up some pieces, and well I end up with a sled to finish.” Thiessen completes all of his installs in his heated shop, so weather is never an issue. “Sleds come in, warm up, and get cleaned, then we move onto proper prep for install,” he says. For the installs, choosing the right material is key, and Thiessen spent a lot time researching the best vinyl and overlaminate options (a shop secret he keeps close to the vest) for powersport vehicles. “We only use the best. Quality is key. No one wants junk when they are spending as much as they are on a wrap,” he says. “I have had customers crash their bikes and break plastics with my wraps on them, and the only thing holding the plastic together was the wrap itself.” After an install,Thiessen says post heating is crucial to ensure longevity and no failures.

When working on wraps, Thiessen cites time and staff as two of his biggest challenges. “I am currently a one-man show, which makes it difficult to design full kits in a timely manner,” he says. “However once an initial proof is sent, I work with that customer until it is 100 percent, which is usually done within two revisions.” The biggest challenge Wide Open Throttle Graphics faced this year, however, was COVID-19. Like many shops, business ground to a halt at the start of the pandemic as the shop was shut down for nearly three months. “It was a scary, difficult time, and I wasn’t sure if the company would survive,” says Thiessen. “Deposits were forfeited, my sled rentals were 100 percent shut down, and all bookings were cancelled. I went from ‘can’t keep up and buying a new sled for the rental fleet’ to absolutely nothing.” In the summer, things started to rev back up to full speed. “In June, the phone

BY ASHLEY BRAY

started ringing again and now we are here. Wide Open Throttle is busier than ever and there is no sign of slowing down,” he says. “I believe between my graphic kits and my sled rentals, I am an essential service to help with mental health. The smiles I see when customers pick up their sleds or come back from a sled trip with one of my machines is unreal every time. “People are happy, and my business gives them something else to think about other than all the problems in the world.”

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Photos courtesy of (clockwise, starting from top left): Neathawk Designs; Appalachian Signs; University Theatre, NC State University; Oak Branch Manufacturing

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January 2021

Sign Builder Illustrated

SIGN PANELS BY JEFF WOOTEN

An Ntrepid

PROJECT

Transforming walls with exterior-grade MDF and LED lighting.

trepid® is a company that provides endpoint security and online information management solutions, and with that kind of focus, it should come as no surprise that “state-of-the-art” would be a part of its DNA. One such example of this updated ingenuity can be found along a ninety12

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foot-long hallway at their headquarters in Virginia, as Axiom Design and Build recently built a futuristic-looking dimensional wall covering out of exterior-grade MDF panels and combined it with edge-enhancing LED lighting and stud-mounted letters to create a finished look that really complements the Ntrepid brand.

Axiom Design and Build is located in New York City and prides itself on innovative solutions and world-class craftsmanship. This fabrication-andinstallation-only company originated back in 2010, and they fulfill projects all across the northeastern United States, mainly dealing with branding companies and architects. “We execute their signshop.com

Photo: Axiom Design and Build.

designs and vision—either through cutting it, jetting it, painting it, or whatever needs to be done,” says Alex Khalfan, founder and CEO of Axiom Design and Build. “We also have our own installation team, so nothing is outsourced.” One of the architects they have worked with in the past brought them onboard the Ntrepid project, telling Khalfan that they were looking to spruce up the plain-looking wall space signshop.com

in a main corridor with something more modern looking. The floor-to-ceiling wall covering they were going to be providing would have to cover forty feet of the ninetyfoot-long wall. Axiom Design and Build performed a site survey—measuring the wall and then setting up a design template to show the client what their finished assembly would look like. “The site survey also showed us what the wall looked like and helped us come up with fabrication ideas,” explains Khalfan. The Axiom Design and Build team paid particularly close attention to the quality of the wall surface that they would be decorating, as well as looked out for where they were going to draw in power to light the wall. Khalfan points out that a wall space measuring 90 feet in length is most likely not going to be 100 percent plum throughout, so since they weren’t going to be working with a sheet rock wall, Axiom Design and Build decided that MDF would be the better material choice for the wall covering panels. However there were still factors that needed to be considered using this material. “When you paint one side of MDF, it has a tendency to warp,” explains Khalfan, “which can still occur even if you paint both sides. We had determined from the survey that these pieces were going to be ten to fourteen feet in length and joined together with fasteners, so we didn’t want them to buckle at any point.” The Axiom Design and Build team ended up using their CNC router to cut and carve twenty-six panels out of exterior-grade MDF for this wall covering. So you might be asking yourself: Why exterior-grade for an interior project? “Since we were going to prime and paint both sides of the MDF, we routed a one-inch-wide, one-quarterinch-deep slot along the entire back of each panel and on the ends where they meet,” says Khalfan. “We fitted a onequarter-inch steel plate into the slots to hold everything tight at the seam and applied a little glue and Bondo™ on the seams to join the two pieces together. “Usually when you’re butting something like that and fill it with putty or

Bondo, it always has a tendency to crack depending on how it’s installed—because the glue is pulling it, the nails are pulling it, and the hot-to-cool temperature causes a tendency to flex. Exteriorgrade MDF doesn’t experience this.” Axiom Design and Build also used their carving tools to add some extra details to the router-cut MDF panels. Next they painted the panels with Benjamin Moore® paints in their spraybooth at their New York City facility as well as on-site at Ntrepid headquarters. “The wall was supposed to be painted the same colors so it all had the whiteon-white effect,” says Khalfan. “We ended up painting a certain area on-site after it had been put up (not the entire piece). It was more like touching up areas where there were fasteners or interlocks.” The company sanded the pieces multiple times after each finish and priming. “The routing was fine. The challenge was sanding it down,” says Khalfan. “You couldn’t really put a machine to it because you wanted the surface to be perfect. “You can’t blast MDF, so we had to hand sand everything. On the last round of sanding, we literally had to do one circle at a time just to make sure it would be smooth. It just took a little time.” Meanwhile Axiom Design and Build created the centerpiece “Ntrepid” channel letters out of 3/4-inch milky white acrylic. “We didn’t use translucent because we didn’t want shadows from the LED light to be seen,” says Khalfan. “It’s such a tight area, and the

Axiom Design and Build used twenty-six carved and cut MDF panels to revitalize and redesign the hallway.

January 2021

Sign Builder Illustrated

letters aren’t that wide.” Khalfan and his six-member install team traveled down to Virginia for the day-long installation at Ntrepid’s headquarters. They used liquid nails to hold the panels into place as they were screwed down to the studs attached to the wall. “Once we screwed it down, we capped it,” says Khalfan. “We cut some half-inch caps out of the exterior-grade MDF and plugged them all in.” Multiple types of white LEDs were used throughout this wall covering. Some of the exterior-grade MDF panels were offset from the wall with pins so that light placed behind the panels could shine through the back. Axiom Design and Build attached the milky white acrylic Ntrepid letters to the mid-section of the new panel conglomeration via one-inch standoffs. They placed white SloanLED strip lighting inside the milky white acrylic and capped it off with 1/8-inch P95 white acrylic. “We were trying to control the depth of it, so we had to put the first layer of acrylic on the MDF and screwed that down. Then we applied the strip lighting and capped it,” says Khalfan. “We tried to get it as thin as possible, but we also had to consider the wiring. The centerpiece with the logo on it is only a half-inch from the wall, and there’s an internal aluminum frame structure behind it that we built holding everything in place. “So we created a 1/2-inch-diameter internal pocket behind the panels up to the ceiling. This pocket would allow us easy access, say, if a transformer wasn’t working or something was wrong with the wiring.” The LED lights had to be installed to the letters and to panels while onsite, as it was going to be impossible to mount them in the shop and then transport them down to Virginia. “The internal pocket we created allowed us to work with placement of the lighting as well,” says Khalfan. In the end, the exterior-grade MDF and the LED lighting combine to create a sleek, futuristiclooking wall centerpiece, which has really helped enhance the Ntrepid brand and transform its once-plain interior. 14

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HELPING YOUR SHOP

GROW PROFITS!

Sign Builder Illustrated is the “how-to magazine” of the sign industry. Each issue includes SBI’s signature “how-to” columns and features with detailed, step-by-step instructions covering a wide range of signage. SBI’s website (signshop. com), newsletters, Buyer’s Guide, and digital edition keep you updated with timely news, recent projects, and upcoming industry events.

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Sign Builder Illustrated

FEATURE NAME EDUCATION BY JEFF AUTHOR WOOTEN

SCHOOL SIGNAGE O ne can make the case that education has played a significant role in shaping the career of Thomas Lamont. He studied auto body work at a vocational school and then learned painting, hand lettering, and airbrushing at the famed Butera School of Art in Boston where he was able to later focus these skills at various sign shops and even his own start-up sign company in pre-vinyl application days. Eventually Lamont adopted skill sets related to the burgeoning inkjet printing and vinyl cutting and found himself installing graphics for retailers like TJ Maxx and Marshall’s. He has even externed at other sign shops training their employees in vinyl applications. Today Lamont is successfully teaching students about the art and technologies of the sign trade (among other things) at the U.S. Blackstone Valley Regional Vocation16

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January 2021

al Technical High School (Valley Tech) in Upton, Massachusetts, and opening their eyes to possible careers in the industry that they never knew existed before. Lamont first started with Valley Tech in 2014, after his son was accepted as a student there. He learned that the school was looking for someone to enhance and transform their curriculum and technical offerings in the Painting & Design Technology program with an infusion of interior decorating and more modern equipment and techniques. In essence, Lamont found himself going “full circle” back to his beginnings. (Note: Lamont has a co-teacher helping him with implementation of this program.) The Painting & Design Technology curriculum encompasses a wide range of segments related to interior design and interior and exterior painting. One of these fields is “signs and graphics,” which

has helped increase the program’s popularity. “The sign industry allows us to add more technologies, like being able to buy more printers,” says Lamont. “Now the students are designing their own graphics in Illustrator and producing them on our state-of-the-art machinery.” Accepted students start the program after exploring various fields of study they want to pursue. Lamont uses the analogy of the variety found at a grocery store to describe the four-year Painting & Technology curriculum at Valley Tech. “There are interior designers, painters, graphics artists, architects, sign makers, installers, etc.,” he says. “ADA and wayfinding even tie into the program. We’re showing students that, if they want to be an interior designer, the sign industry works hand-in-hand with that. They can see how it all marries together.” signshop.com

All Photos: Thomas Lamont.

A vocational school teacher finds success teaching signs and graphics.

Lamont says the Painting & Design Technology program has boomed ever since his first year; today every single student that comes through their program was a first choice, and the school has now set up a waiting list for it. Being equipment-heavy has attracted a good amount of student interest. “Kids today want technology,” says Lamont, “and the sign industry really helps with that.” Among the on-campus equipment his curriculum utilizes are two Roland DGA printer/cutters, a Canon printer, a Royal Sovereign laminator, a CNC router, a brand-new Epilog laser, and even a spraybooth. The school develops a budget to purchase needed equipment and has been successful at smartly and frequently applying for grants. “When I was hired, I told them that I was going to need a laminator, vinyl cutters, printers, etc., and they literally bought every single thing that I wanted!” says Lamont. “All of our equipment is brand new— and probably even better than what a lot of sign companies around here have.” Lamont says that a lot of students in the Exploratory part of the program love to “make stickers,” a name they’ve adopted for decals and vinyl prints. “All of our students have laptops, and we teach them how to use Adobe Illustrator,” he says. “These kids catch on pretty quickly. We give them a file and they modify the designs and send them to the printer and then take them home and apply them to their laptops or cellphones. They really love it!” One of the more popular courses in the program is the Distressed Sign Workshop. “We are an interior design/painting/signs-and-graphics shop, so we always try to incorporate all three things,” says Lamont. “This class teaches them the different types of woods used in interior design, how to prep it, how to sand it, and how to paint it. “Then we teach them how to make a vinyl graphic for the lettering in Illustrator. We show them how to use the plotter, weed the vinyl, put the transfer paper on it, and paint it. Then we teach them how to pull it off leaving a distressed look. It encompasses all these different things in one lesson.” Work created by the students can be found all over Valley Tech. They letter the signshop.com

school’s vans and apply window graphics and frosted vinyl along the campus. They even worked with a local sign shop to design and build a huge Watchfire digital scoreboard featuring a vinyl-covered PVC cutout of the school’s beaver logo attached to the top of it. “The students designed, produced, and applied thousands of safety and social distancing stickers and floor graphics for the school on our Roland printers during the COVID-19 onset,” says Lamont. As you might expect, vehicle wrapping is also popular. Lamont’s classes have also done quite well with high finishes at several SkillsUSA Promotional Billboard competitions in Louisville, Kentucky, where they caught the attention of 3M and Roland DGA, both of which have driven their demo trucks to the Valley Tech parking lot to further help train students. Since Lamont knows a lot of car guys in the area thanks to his auto body background, his students have been able to work on applying graphics to Lamborghinis, Masaratis, and Ferraris brought to the school shop. Some of Lamont’s students were even invited to a nearby prestigious car show where they were encouraged to wipe down McClarens and use squeegees and rollers to apply vinyl graphics to them. Lamont reinforces the message to his students that they shouldn’t be afraid of

achieving something that they think is out of the realm of their achievement. “I tell my students that they have a talent and are doing something that these guys are in awe about,” he says. “They’re noticing the sixteen-year-old kid putting a decal on their car absolutely perfectly, which is something they can’t do. It gives our students so much pride that somebody who owns a Lamborghini sees that in them.” Lamont also uses his class to do work for the community—actions he identifies as “teachable moments.” They do a lot of work for Mission 22, an organization that raises awareness for veteran suicide prevention. “We’ve been making decals for them and donating them,” says Lamont. “We show our students their video and talk about who they are. We show them how we can give back to people by making signs, and they appreciated that because it’s a good cause.” They recently wrapped three hoods for the Upton Police Department’s cruisers as part of “Think Pink” breast cancer awareness week. “We’re not just teaching kids about signs,” says Lamont. “We’re able to show the kids that police officers are real people and that they’re here to help our community too.” Lamont says that they have co-ops available at the school, and several students have been hired in sign companies from this experience. The owner of a lo-

Peter Lamont (standing, left of hood) had his class wrap the hoods of several Upton, Massachusetts police cruisers as part of “Think Pink” breast cancer awareness week. January 2021

Sign Builder Illustrated

Students in the Valley Tech Painting & Design Technology program have worked on creating various types of signage that can be found throughout the school.

cal sign company that Lamont partners with has three lasers and was looking to find people to work with this technology.

“So he gave me his old laser to train our kids how to use it, and when they learned how, he was going to hire them. And he

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did end up hiring three of them!” Seeing the value in this technology, Lamont convinced the school to invest in a laser engraver. “It shows you that our technology is getting kids hired,” he says, “and at the end of the day, that’s why we’re here. We want them to learn a trade and get them employed.” While Lamont says that, a lot of times, his students will leave to go to college, he is proud that they always have design on their minds and someday they’ll get back into the sign and graphics workforce. Lamont is not only making a difference in his students’ lives, but they’re making a difference in his life as well. He was recently awarded the Teacher of the Year for the state of Massachusetts. “This was awesome because it highlights what it is that we’re doing here and how we’re making changes,” he says. “Even other area shops and schools are now using our successes as a model and buying printers and equipment. It’s changing their shops too.”

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to develop, demonstrate, and execute the company’s vision of excellence. Taylor says being named to the International Sign Association Elite class of 2018, as well as serving as one of the founding members and the current president of the Young Professionals Network, a division of the Sign Association of Canada, are some of her most noteworthy accomplishments to date. She is also an active member in both the Alberta and national sign associations. We spoke with Taylor further about her thoughts on the younger generation and its role in the sign industry.

Taylor Blanchett-O’Donnell

What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve found related to younger sign makers in the sign industry? How have you managed to solve these challenges on your own end? The first (and biggest) challenge is actually informing those young, eager workers about the sign industry as a viable career option. It isn’t that our industry is dying or unattractive in principle; I truly feel that people just don’t know it is an available choice for them. Whenever I have the chance to talk with young workers looking to enter the workforce about the sign industry, their most common response is, “I had no idea this was even an option,” or, “I didn’t know so many different roles went into making a sign!” The sign industry is at an important crossroads—a lot of shops generally have an older workforce and introducing younger staff can be challenging to the status quo. It is really critical to put in the effort to make this transition as transparent as possible—ensuring that you are hearing the concerns of your existing staff, while not limiting or stifling the energy of the younger workers.

Why do you feel the sign industry is an attractive career for you? In today’s world, young people are looking for a career that is not only interesting but also offers opportunities for growth and advancement—somewhere where they can make a difference. With many sign shops being small,

Corporate Services Manager, Blanchett Neon Ltd., of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

aylor Blanchett-O’Donnell is continuing her family’s legacy by becoming the fourth generation to work at custom sign company Blanchett Neon in Western Canada. 20

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January 2021

In her role as corporate services manager, she is responsible for business development, health and safety, brand presence, and strategic direction. Taylor also works alongside senior management

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independent businesses, there is often less bureaucracy that might stand in the way of advancement or trying out different positions. If you enjoy working with people, sales and project managers are essential. If you enjoy working with your hands, production or installation might be a great fit. There is no better feeling than driving past a sign you had the opportunity to work on—be that through sales, design, project management, fabrication, or even installation. The possibilities are truly endless to leave your mark in this industry. How do you think the sign industry should be recruiting other younger people to join? The easiest way to start is by being actively involved in your local community— from construction and trade associations to young professional and networking groups, the easiest way to “get the word out” is to be present and actively engaged with potential job seekers.

When it comes to recruitment, drive and passion are essential.You can’t teach attitude, but you can coach for performance. We have also found success in making the conscious decision to hire people from a variety of different backgrounds. As a niche industry, a lot of

YOUNG PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR A CAREER WHERE THEY CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. existing signage workers have been in it for a long time and usually have a preferred way of doing things. By purposefully bringing in individuals with the raw skills to do the task (welding, electrical,

or graphic design, for example) but not necessarily the industry-specific experience, you also bring in new ways of looking at things that might not have been considered otherwise. What have you learned about the sign industry from your experiences so far? The biggest thing I have learned is the importance of being a sponge—absorbing as much information about as many areas of the industry as you can. With most sign projects being custom oneoffs, you never know when that one experience or situation will come in handy to solving a problem down the line. I personally have found the greatest success in surrounding myself with the best people from a variety of backgrounds that all bring something unique to the proverbial table. No one person can do it all, so know your strengths, the strengths of your teammates, and how you can complement and uplift one another to find the best results.

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SBI YOUNG SIGN MAKERS 2021 BY SBI STAFF

Joe Landin

CEO, BSC Signs of Broomfield Colorado

oe Landin recently turned thirty. He is married with three kids, coaches football and basketball— and he is currently running a five million dollar sign business, BSC Signs. Joe was practically born into the sign industry, as his father and a few of his uncles have been involved in the industry for thirty-plus years. “My dad worked for a few sign shops and then decided to start his own small company and worked as a subcontractor for a few others around town,” says Joe. “Through this time, I found myself on summer breaks helping him with installs and light fabrication work between the ages of ten to fourteen or so.” As a kid, Joe always strived for the best (being honored as a Straight-A student and participating in school events as an 22

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January 2021

athlete). However, in high school, girls took more of a priority, and as a sophomore, he received unexpected news. “At the young age of fifteen, I learned I was going to become a teen father,” he says. “It was then that I knew it was time to buckle down and get a job to support my new family and responsibilities.” Joe dropped out of high school and applied for a job at a local sign shop—and the rest is history! “Thankfully, all the time I had spent with my dad working with him during summer breaks and being around the sign business at a young age really paid off for me, as I was able to do more than the average shop helper and grew quickly,” he says. “I [started to understand] that, the more I learned and developed, the more money I could make and the quicker I

could advance within a company.” One skill he learned well was painting. “By age seventeen, I was the paint department manager at a larger local sign shop managing several employees,” he says. Joe later switched to another custom fabrication shop where he learned to add fabrication skills to his repertoire. Eventually he was given the opportunity to become a production manager overseeing about ten employees. However the company Joe was working for decided to relocate from Denver to St. Louis and consolidate with a larger company. Even though he was offered the opportunity to move out to St. Louis with them and become operations manager, Joe was not ready to make the move. “I did spend about twelve weeks flying from Denver to St. Louis to help the owners get the new facility and equipment set up, hire and train new employees, and make sure all was running smoothly,” he says. Joe’s father was working as a CNC operator at BSC Signs, a full-service sign company in Broomfield, Colorado and brought him onboard as a fabricator and painter. Joe later tried his hat in sales where he generated well over a million dollars in his first year and experienced a few more consecutive million-dollarplus years after that. “While selling was fun, I knew in my mind that owning my own sign company or running the company was where I wanted to be. I stepped out of sales and learned estimating and did that for a few years,” says Joe. “I then stepped out of that role and became our fabrication and install manager, then became the Operations Manager, and, in early 2020, was promoted to CEO.” Joe has found that each milestone in his career and life has helped him better himself as quickly as possible while maintaining integrity and gaining respect. “I’m very proud to say that I oversee thirty-plus employees, manage a multi-million dollar custom sign company, and have had a hand in building a great team around me,” he says. “Further growth, momentum, and success are just around the corner!” We spoke with Joe on his thoughts signshop.com

about being young in the sign industry. What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve found related to younger sign makers in the sign industry? One of the biggest challenges I have seen and found is their lack of ability to adapt while working with older generations. Typically the older generations don’t communicate the same way the younger generations do. The best way I have managed to solve this challenge is by adapting and changing my personal communication preferences. For example, in just doing the simplest thing like picking up the phone or having a face-to-face conversation instead of sending an email or text goes a long way with the older generations and can really improve rapport, relationship, and ultimately communication. Why do you feel the sign industry is an attractive career for you? There are so many different fields with-

in the industry you can learn and or specialize in. I have never felt trapped in one “profession.” Also the industry is challenging and expressive, and there is always opportunity to grow, improve, and learn. What makes the sign industry an attractive career for younger people? The younger generation tends to love customization. They’re typically creative and expressive, and our industry is the epitome of all these characteristics. I believe younger people would find the sign industry quite appealing once exposed to it. How do you think the sign industry should be recruiting younger people? Personally I think the sign industry needs to be more involved and collaborate more with trade schools and high schools to recruit young adults and educate parents. Parents have a big influence on these young adults, and if parents had some buy in, I’m sure there

would be more influence and sway towards our industry. Typically, when I’m hiring a younger person, I look for someone with a great attitude, someone who is responsible, someone who is a great communicator, and someone who is humble. I think these foundational qualities will lead to overall success in anything they do. What have you learned about the sign industry from your experiences so far? What have others learned from you? I’ve learned that there is never a dull moment, and there are a lot of hardworking, passionate, and determined people working in this industry. I hope that others have learned through me that age, race, background, etc., is only a limiting factor if you let it be one. There are no limits to what you can achieve, as long as you are willing to put in the time and effort and work to build strong relationships and support systems.

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SBI YOUNG SIGN MAKERS 2021 BY SBI STAFF

Justin Myers

CEO & Owner, Signs By Veterans of Charleston, South Carolina

ustin Myers, age thirty-three, is the founder of Signs By Veterans. We recently covered their creation and installation of a halo-lit, on-premise sign for the Vintage Lounge in Charleston, South Carolina (“Signage with Selfie Worth,” November 2020). Hailing from a noteworthy military career (where he earned the nickname “Pirate Hunter”), Justin started out as a master certified sales consultant at Toyota, when the high-profile TheSignChef.com, Inc., recruited him as a sales director— eventually working his way up to becoming its vice president. “The sign industry was very appealing to me because there are so many different solutions you can

Sign Builder Illustrated

January 2021

provide and so many different brands to work with,” he says. He eventually left his vice presidency to start up Signs By Veterans in an effort to help military veterans transition into the civilian business world and improve their lives. “I have studied other peoples’ businesses my whole life, and I wanted an opportunity to build a business for myself and for the veterans in the community to grow into,” he says. Justin has made big progress with a small staff. Even though Signs By Veterans is a six-person business, they service signs nationally around the country, even securing opportunities to work on large-dollar sign projects. The company works on ev-

erything from vehicle wraps to custom signage to dimensional letters and everything else in-between. He is particularly proud that his shop is giving his veterans on staff a career boost. “They are finding that signage is a ‘unique’ skill set,” says Justin. Justin firmly believes that setting up strategic partnerships has been key to his company’s growth and success. Signs By Veterans has partnered with some of the top manufacturers and wholesalers in the industry (such as Gemini and Direct Sign Wholesale) to help complete nationallevel projects. And they still do business (sculpts and such) with The Sign Chef. “I have a network that I built over the years so that I have access to an installer in every major city across the United States,” says Justin. “Most, but not all, of them are veterans. I’m always looking to create more jobs for veterans.” You can follow Justin further on Facebook at @JustinMyersEnterprise and on Instagram at @Ma5terguns. We also spoke further with him to learn his thoughts on what younger sign people bring to the sign industry. What challenges can younger people face in the sign industry? I’ve noticed that kids in the eighteen- to twenty-five-year-old age range have a lot less direction in where they’re heading in life. They’re very new and trying to figure things out on their own. However I’ve found that they’re open to being taught new processes and technologies whereas some of the old-time sign guys can be hesitant to learn new tricks. Industry knowledge can be taught, but it has to be taught in a way for growth to develop. Young people are looking for an impact, and they’re looking for purpose. And there are so many different options they can pursue in the industry— it’s not just one job. There are a lot of technologies and systems related to signage they can work off of—CNC routers, paint systems, flatbed printers, etc. And the fact that they are getting to represent business’s brands across America is an attractive aspect to them. signshop.com

SBI YOUNG SIGN MAKERS 2021

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Vadim Rabinovich

CEO, DaSign Guy in Long Island City, New York

adim Rabinovich is thirty-seven years old and was born into the signage business. When he was five years old, his family emigrated from Ukraine. His father, a sign painter, put a computer in Vadim’s hands when he was a teenager and said, “Figure out how to use this,” which he did—and it’s been full-speed ahead ever since. After working for shops in Manhattan and Yonkers, Vadim eventually started his own company, DaSign Guy, in 2018. He chose this name to emphasize his design skills and his ability to provide one-stop signage service, without getting the runaround of dealing with multiple people. DaSign Guy is actually located inside the facility of Boyce Technologies. Vadim had already been doing fleet work for the

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company when Owner Charles Boyce asked him to produce signage for the electronics they had built for the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) subways. Impressed with the results, Boyce asked him to come work for them. “I thought, ‘Why would I want one of my good clients to be my boss?’” says Vadim. “But they have an amazing facility—they have robots building all sorts of things here. So we worked out an arrangement where I have a dedicated 1,300-square-foot space inside their building. I do my own thing, and I also do whatever work they need done.” Today Vadim does about 90 percent vinyl graphics—mainly large-scale wall wraps using Roland DGA’s TrueVIS VG2-540, a flatbed printer, and a sixty-

four-inch cutter. DaSign Guy has about 200 clients and produces graphics and signs for museums, boutiques, restaurants, and other businesses in Manhattan and surrounding cities in the Tri-State area (such as Diptyque, Pearl River Mart, The Lobster Place, Gotham Gymnastics, Studio Museum in Harlem, Sugar Hill Children’s Museum, and The Jewish Museum). “I do lots and lots of decals and some hard goods such as banners and various plastic and metal signs,” says Vadim. Even though Vadim has done vehicle graphics work in the past and enjoys it, he has actually stepped away from heavy vehicle work—outsourcing it to a friend of his that he trained (Sanford Auto Spa on Long Island). Vadim believes that, if you’re not all about vehicle graphics, then you should stay away from it. “I find that there are a lot of people doing it that shouldn’t be touching cars,” he says. “To wrap cars requires not only the proper skills and experience but also a proper facility—something that way too many ‘vehicle wrappers’ lack!” Being located inside the Boyce Technologies facility has allowed Vadim to address the COVID-19 crisis in the Northeast. The company provided machine automation and advanced laser cutting to bring the Spiro Wave Bridge Ventilator (which replaces manually operated bag valve masks for patients coming on or off of traditional ventilators) quickly to manufacturable design. They were commissioned by New York to build 3,000 bridge ventilators. “Each Spiro Wave machine has thirty labels of various shapes and sizes,” says Vadim. “I single handedly printed, laminated, and contour cut 40,000 labels in two weeks.” Vadim hasn’t missed a day of work since the COVID-19 crisis started, and post-Spiro Bridge, he says his shop is producing social distancing signage and large banners to announce that restaurants and other places are open. “I have also been printing logo graphics for plexiglass vertical barriers/‘sneeze guards,’” he says. Sign Builder Illustrated spoke with Vad-

January 2021

Sign Builder Illustrated

im further to explore his thoughts about young people in the sign industry. What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve found related to younger sign makers in the sign industry or on your own end? As a small guy working in a major city like New York City, a big challenge is overcoming intimidation of tackling high-end clients with the competition of many large sign businesses all over the place. A lot of places only deal with union shops or highly reputable big name shops, so the only real ways I have been able to overcome the intimidation is through confidence in my work. Getting your foot in the door is only half of the battle; babysitting the clients and yielding amazing results with every project is what really keeps the business coming in. I do zero advertising because with lucrative clients like art galleries, museums, and high-end retail, it’s all about who you know, how happy you make them, and their spreading of your name to others. Also the sign business is a very broad field. Sometimes it’s best to find the niche that suits you best. You don’t have to make every type of sign under the sun. It’s like a restaurant with a large menu— sure the food may be okay, but on the other hand, a restaurant with a small menu will make whatever they specialize in and knock it out the park because that’s what they do all day long! Why is the sign industry an attractive career for you? It matches my personality. I get to have fun, be creative, and work with other “outside the box”-type of people. I’m also not the type of person that can sit in a chair and work for forty hours a week, let alone work for someone else; so the fact that every day and every project brings a new batch of fun is really what keeps me going. Not to knock on white-collar work or people that need to be in a cubicle (we need them both as a society), but if you’re anything like me and can’t sit still, this is a pretty fun and exciting business to be in. The youth are drastically changing with every generation and, with new technology on the rise, these kids are growing up to be more and more creative, building 26

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businesses from the palm of their hands. This goes hand in hand with creative careers in advertising and printing/signage. I am thirty-seven now and after two years of being entirely on my own with my business, I can happily say that I have reached a certain level of financial freedom, and I have done so by making stickers. I find a great deal of “attractive” in that! How do you think the sign industry should be recruiting other younger people to join? When I was in college, getting my bachelor’s degree in Advertising Design, I was oddly enough already dabbling in the sign industry. I found it interesting that, in a “technical College” in New York City, they offered absolutely nothing related to the sign industry. These days, motivational speakers are on the rise, and kids are quickly learning that schools and colleges don’t really prepare them for real life, unless you want to be a doctor or a lawyer obviously. And I must say, I agree with the idea. Looking back at it, I don’t know why I spent all that time in college really. I ended up starting my own business anyway, something they don’t teach you either. Trade schools are on the rise. People like working with their hands and being creative! I believe there should be some sort of trade schools for this industry because, as of now, the only way to learn is through putting time in and starting from the bottom. If I were looking to hire young people,

the qualities I would look for would be ambition and creativity. This industry doesn’t need straight-A students. All you really need is to know simple math and have great common sense—and the ability to work with your hands and a thirst to learn. What have you learned about the sign industry from your experiences so far? Over the years, I have learned that there really is no substitute for the time we put in! As with any other skilled craft, the longer you do it, the better you are. If you combine that concept with a love for what you do, you can achieve great success. In every profession there are the “know-it-alls.” It’s not hard to tell when people refuse to learn. Being open minded is a part of the reason I am where I am today, so to me that goes a long way. How do you think younger people might evolve the industry? I can’t say how younger people will evolve this industry, but I can say that I certainly hope they will do so! My shop is currently located in the middle of a 100,000-square-foot building, which is an engineering facility/machine shop. They are a staple in state-ofthe-art engineering in New York City. The people that work here are nothing short of amazing, and it is truly inspirational. We all rub elbows and learn from one another on a daily basis. Their Research and Development department consists of a bunch of kids half my age and that, to me, is amazing!

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SBI YOUNG SIGN MAKERS 2021

BY SBI STAFF

Why do you feel the sign industry is an attractive career for you? What makes this industry so attractive is that the work we are doing is so visual, and the signs we put up are the focal point for the businesses we work with. Every morning I drive to work and see a bunch of signs that our team installed and it gives me a huge sense of gratification that we are able to leave our mark on the area in such a prominent way. How do you think the sign industry should be recruiting younger people to join? Getting in front of students at colleges and universities would be a great start. Most of my peers who are in the industry state that they never thought they would end up in the sign industry (except in the case of family businesses), and they sort of “fell into it” like I did. It is the duty of all of us in the industry to demonstrate how rewarding and attractive a career in the sign industry is and that begins by educating the next generation of young professionals.

Zach Wenger

Project Manager, Lemberg Electric of Brookfield, Wisconsin

ike so many in our industry, twenty-eight-year-old Zach Wenger stumbled into signage accidentally. “I reached out to a recruiter who directed me to a national sign company (Everbrite) in Milwaukee,” he says. After working at Everbrite for about a year and a half, Zach found his way to Lemberg Electric where he’s served as the project manager in the Sign & Lighting Division working on custom sign projects in the Milwaukee and Madison metro areas. In the four years Zach has been at Lemberg Electric, he’s worked on everything from signage for the Milwaukee Brewers’ 2020 rebranding effort to vinyl

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jobs for mom-and-pop shops and everything in between. “At Lemberg, we pride ourselves on being a true turnkey solution for our customers by providing high-quality signage and electrical services,” he says. Outside of the many projects he’s worked on, Zach cites his biggest career accomplishment to date as being part of the International Sign Association Elite class of 2018. But we have a feeling the excitement of becoming a father early next year will trump anything he’s accomplished so far! We spoke with Zach to find out his thoughts about younger people in the sign industry.

Are there any business practices, technologies, techniques, misperceptions, etc., you would like to see change in the sign industry in the near future and in what way(s)? In today’s world, innovation and creativity are key in driving business. Bringing young people into the industry will bring about fresh ideas and concepts, which will ultimately benefit our customers. I believe it is important for executives to listen to and be receptive to these new ideas and concepts. Some ideas may not be feasible, but there will be an idea that could fundamentally change a business for the better!

A recent project Wenger worked on.

January 2021

Sign Builder Illustrated

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January 2021

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YESCO provides more than 4,200 Signs at SLC International Airport.

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ESCO, the one hundred-yearold Salt Lake City-based company known for creating internationally recognizable signs, recently fabricated and installed more than 4,200 signs as part of Salt Lake City International Airport’s recent major redevelopment project. “As Salt Lake City International establishes itself as a hub airport, we’re honored for our signage to be part of this more efficient and sustainable facility,” said Jeff Young, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, YESCO. “It’s gratifying to know our work will be having a lasting impact on travelers for years to come.” YESCO was an ideal fit for this project since the company proudly specializes in the manufacture of custom electric signs and out-of-home advertising. Additionally, the company has sign and

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lighting service franchises throughout North America. Encompassing more than 23,000 man-hours of work over the course of four years, the project included the installation of 526 wayfinding signs and 3,707 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) code-related signs throughout Salt Lake City International. The first segment of the new airport, Concourse A-West, opened on September 15, safely welcoming its first flight and passengers aboard Delta Air Lines. Concourse B-West opened on October 27 and serves Alaska, American, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest, and United airlines passengers. On this spread, you can view some of the standout ADA/wayfinding signs that YESCO provided for the airport. To see even more photos of this project, visit https://bit.ly/3kM7oNu.

January 2021

Sign Builder Illustrated

RISE ABOVE YOUR COMPETITION

SIGN BUILDER

ILLUSTRATED

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Sign Builder Illustrated

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18 14

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Shopbot Tools Inc.

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Signs365.com

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SinaLite

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Wilkie Mfg.

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COMPANIES IN SIGN SHOW 12

Epson

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Tormach, Inc.

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GREATCOMES CONTENT GREAT SIGNAGE! Sign Builder Illustrated is the “how-to magazine” of the sign industry. Each issue includes SBI’s signature “how-to” columns and features with detailed, step-by-step instructions covering a wide range of signage. fb.com/SBIMag

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Sign Builder Illustrated

January 2021

2/16/17 9:06 AM

Sign Builder Illustrated

INTERNATIONAL MINUTE PRESS OF CARY, NORTH CAROLINA

BY CHRIS BISCUITI

Overcoming COVID-19 Challenges Together Giving back to customers and the community.

escribing the performance of his International Minute Press franchise in Cary last year, Neal Sugarman says, “We were steadily growing each year in what was just our fourth year in business.” Since printing is an essential business and Neal is dedicated to his clients and his community, he did not let COVID-19 get in the way of his determination. Instead, he adapted his products and services, reinforced his marketing strategies, and thrived as a result. “All of a sudden, here we have this pandemic and relative to what we have been doing, our day-to-day operations were profoundly different,” says Neal. “The phones and emails became strangely quiet, but we did not. We went to work, spending time on renewed marketing

programs, keeping our staff safe and employed. We implemented four years’ worth of marketing ideas because we finally had the time to focus on them.” Neal and his team brought new life into a business community fraught with new challenges. “We created avenues for revenue using health and safety signage, floor graphics, and other design and printed tools to help get our clients into a position to keep making money,” he says. International Minute Press in Cary adapted their business to fit the needs of clients during the pandemic, and it worked. “Most of our payments were made online (instead of in our storefront), and we delivered products based on the guidelines and our customers’ comfort levels. We would regularly come

Sign Builder Illustrated Magazine (Print ISSN 895-0555, Digital ISSN 2161-4709) (USPS#0015-805) (Canada Post Cust. #7204564; Agreement #40612608; IMEX Po Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2, Canada) is published monthly 12 times per year by Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation, 88 Pine St. 23rd Floor, New York, NY 10005. Printed in the U.S.A. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and Additional mailing offices.

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Pricing, Qualified individual working in the sign industry may request a free subscription. Non-qualified subscriptions Print version, Digital version, Both Print & Digital versions: 1 year US/Canada/Mexico $50.00; foreign $99.00. Single Copies are $15.00 ea. Subscriptions must be paid for in U.S. funds only.

For Subscriptions, & address changes, Please call (US Only) 1-800-553-8878 (CANADA/INTL) 1-319-364-6167, Fax 1-319-364-4278, e-mail signbuilder@ stamats.com, or write to: Sign Builder Illustrated, Simmons-Boardman Publ. Corp, PO Box 1407, Cedar Rapids, IA. 52406-1407.

Sign Builder Illustrated

January 2021

COPYRIGHT © Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation 2021. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced without permission. For reprint information, contact: Arthur Sutley, Publisher (212) 620-7247 or asutley@ sbpub.com.

out curbside and load their vehicles or leave completed projects out for them, carefully, if they wished,” says Neal. “I revised our Web site, upped our social media game, and increased Google AdWords activity within the first few weeks. “This allowed faster, easier ways to connect with everyone and we got busier because of it. Orders came in from hotels and restaurants but also from new people responding to our new marketing efforts. We got busier from all of it.” To help customers and local communities suffering from the pandemic, the team decided to print a lot of yard signs for restaurants that allowed them to tell customers they were open for business. “We gave out over one hundred ‘Open Curbside’ signs to area restaurants, free of charge,” says Neal. “It’s a really cool thing to drive around town today and see all of these signs still being used six months later!” Neal and his staff reached out to the community in a variety of ways and their focus on community service became part of their business model. “We are involved with a non-profit called Dorcas Ministries, who runs the only food pantry in Cary (and we have a population of 175,000),” says Neal. “The pandemic increased demand on the pantry supplies, and we wanted to help. We printed and sold #CaryStrong signs for them and raised almost $400 for the pantry.” Donating time and services has become a winning situation as Cary bounces back. A sense of gratitude is present. “We upped our game through diversifying into community service activities as part of our day-to-day marketing,” says Neal. “Yes it is good for business; but what matters to us is that our work is good for our community and makes us better citizens now, more than ever.” POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Sign Builder Illustrated, PO Box 1407, Cedar Rapids, IA. 52406-1407. Instructional information provided in this magazine should only be performed by skilled crafts people with the proper equipment. The publisher and authors of information provided herein advise all readers to exercise care when engaging in any of the how-to-activities published in the magazine. Further, the publisher and authors assume no liability for damages or injuries resulting from projects contained herein.

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Photo: International Minute Press of Cary.

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