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YESCO refurbishes the vintage Park Theater marquee sign in a historic town.

Originally opened in 1946, the Park Theater in the historic town of Walden, Colorado ran two shows per night during its prime. For decades, the centrally located movie house, with its glowing marquee announcing the attractions playing inside, proved to be a popular gathering place for residents throughout Jackson County, Colorado.

However, in 1982, the theater ceased operation, and its original sign fell into an advanced state of disrepair over the decades since.

The town recently made highly visible improvements throughout the community, and with that in mind, they brought in YESCO, known for manufacturing and maintaining internationally recognizable signs, to restore the original sign to its former luster.

Today the vintage Park Theater marquee sign is back in action along Walden’s Main Street and is fully adorned in neon and resplendent in rich, new colors.

To document and examine the sign’s former condition, YESCO’s service team completed a thorough site survey.

YESCO then removed and replaced transformers and wiring, re-skinned the dented and damaged face of the sign with new metal cladding, updated the flanking on informational reader boards, and created horizontal wings to extend the sign’s reach across the façade for a more dramatic impact.

To document and examine the sign’s former condition (pictured, left), YESCO’s service team completed a thorough site survey, taking the opportunity to look at everything that was in disrepair and determine what could be feasibly refurbished on the marquee.

An important feat of “re-imagination” took place during the design phase as YESCO’s Denver creative director Herm Medina used a serifed Tuscan typeface for the new lettering, lending a fresh, yet period-themed, Western character to the project.

“The newly refurbished sign will deliver sig- nificant economic benefits to our customer,” said Stephen E. Young, senior vice president of YESCO Sign & Lighting. “With the improved aesthetic, the Park Theater marquee is now certain to catch the eyes of visitors walking along Walden’s Main Street.”

The future of work is dynamic. One would need an entire book to describe the many forces affecting trends in the workplace now and in the years to come. Unfortunately, by the time that book made it to print, its contents would be out of date.

Here are a few workplace trends that will take center stage this year:

Addressing talent shortage. Korn Ferry estimates that the global human talent shortage will reach 85 million people by 2030. Companies will need strategies to incentivize their employees to stay— using long-term incentives, benefits, and flexible workplace policies to stem the outflow of employees who possess in-demand skills.

Their options will expand significantly amid the coming competition for talent. Companies will also be challenged to find ways to automate work that is more tactical or transactional, looking to A.I. and robotics to fill gaps.

Physical and mental well-being gain importance. Talent shortages, supply-chain difficulties, business uncertainty, and war are among the global forces that are exacerbating the demand on today’s employees. The risk of burnout will remain high.

Recent studies by Gallup and ThriveMyWay revealed that 50 to 60 percent of employees say they are burned out. Reasons include needing to be available 24/7 for their employers, lack of support by their managers (many of whom may also be overwhelmed), unreasonable time constraints, and other reasons.

A Korn Ferry study indicated 89 percent of professionals say they have experienced burnout in the last two years, and 80 percent of that group says they’re more burned out now than they were at the start of the pandemic.

Employers will need to invest in a series of countermeasures: improved workforce planning to better predict what skills/ roles (and how many roles) are needed, more generous hours and/or flexible schedules (including extra time off to recharge), tools and techniques for mental health and well-being, and expanding support for groups that may have left the workforce in an effort to woo them back.

The importance of sustainability. Creating a sustainable future is a trending topic, as nations and private organizations pursue measures to limit global warming and address the climate crisis. This will be further highlighted as Gen Z (born from 1997-2012) comes into the workforce.

Addressing climate change is the No. 1 concern among this age group, according to a recent Deloitte survey. Nearly half— 49 percent—state their personal ethics and beliefs have played a role in their career choices.

Companies won’t just push forward on sustainability because it’s the right thing to do or a good business practice, but [rather] it will be required to attract and retain the talent they need for the future.

Jesse Meschuk is a career and human resources expert at branding management consultant firm Exequity (exqty.com) .

All Wilkie equipment is designed for the Sign and Lighting industry with almost 50 years experience