Sign Builder May 2022 by Sign Builder Illustrated

THE HOW-TO MAGAZINE

M AY 2022 | S I G N S H O P.CO M

SIGN BUILDER

ILLUSTRATED

CUTTING-EDGE

WRAPS WAYFINDING:

ATTRACTIVE DESIGNS

LED LIGHTING:

SUPER-SLIM SIGN CABINET

CONTENTS MAY 2022

VOL. 36

HOW-TO COLUMNS

FUNDING YOUR BUSINESS: THE PLAN

By Jim Hingst Writing a business plan for a commercial loan.

NO. 322

THE WAGES OF SIGN

By David Hickey Breaking down the ISA’s latest Wage and Benefits Report.

DEPARTMENTS

4 6

Cover Photo: Star Trims Automotive.

8 38 40

EDITOR’S COLUMN

As awareness about jobs in signs and graphics increases, Editor Jeff Wooten spotlights how the industry can fine-tune this visibility.

IN THE INDUSTRY

Consumer survey shows that fluorescent colors are “having a moment,” and a Big Outdoor digital display network goes up in Austin, Texas.

SIGN SHOW

The newest products and services from sign manufacturers.

SBI MARKETPLACE

Advertisements and announcements from the sign trade.

SBI OPERATIONS

Jerry Reese talks about investing in digital sign projects for those banks inside retail and grocery stores.

FEATURES

22 28 33

8 signshop.com

WHERE THE WRAPS ROAM

By Jeff Wooten Wide-open designs for wide-open areas.

THE POINTE OF WAYFINDING

By Jeff Wooten Creative Sign Designs installs a colorful, creative wayfinding system.

ECOLOGY ON DISPLAY

By SBI Staff An ecological exhibit gets an interpretive upgrade. Plus bring Braille in-house.

THE SKINNY ON STADIUM SIGNAGE

By Ashley Bray Creating a super-slim sign cabinet for inside a new stadium.

May 2022

Sign Builder Illustrated

May 2022, Vol. 36, No. 322 Sign Builder Illustrated (ISSN 0895-0555) print, (ISSN 2161-0709) digital is published by Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation

Subscriptions: 402-346-4740

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 David Hickey, Jim Hingst, Jerry Reese

ART

Art Director Nicole D’Antona Graphic Designer Hillary Coleman

PRODUCTION

Corporate Production Director Mary Conyers

CIRCULATION

Circulation Director Joann Binz joann@qcs1989.com

ADVERTISING SALES Sales Manager 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 Gary Lynch at 212-620-7247 or e-mail glynch@sbpub.com.

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May 2022

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EDITOR’S COLUMN

AGENDA

BY JEFF WOOTEN

Note: All events listed below are subject to change. Please check show sites for the most up-todate information.

JUNE 2022 JUNE 20-22:

LightFair 2022, the world’s largest annual architectural and commercial lighting tradeshow and conference, takes place at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. (lightfair.com)

JULY 2022

Community Awareness

JULY 27-30:

SignConnexion 2022, the MidSouth Sign Association’s annual tradeshow, will be occurring in Chattanooga, Tennessee. (midsouthsign.org)

Sign-making lessons can go both ways.

Sign Builder Illustrated

May 2022

are complexities when designing a wrap for a vehicle, thanks to its curves, headlights, taillights, door handles, etc.,” he says. “We’ve had people come in and tell us that they are skilled at graphic design. However when they come in to create a design for a wrap, the body lines mess up or the curves of the vehicle disrupt it.” East pines for more vocational school courses to focus on wrap design, pointing out, “There are additional skills you need to learn to be successful in this area.” Do these potential educational specialties get even narrower into mediums like graphics for digital displays? Or ADA? Of course, industry awareness into the public consciousness can’t afford to slow down either. I keep reading articles and studies about the obscene dollar amounts that social media influencers are making at an obscener younger age—enough to have made me unfairly question my childhood priorities. Here is another not-quitetapped marketing opportunity. Some shops already have younger employees promoting their work and enthusiasm via these highly embraced platforms (YouTube, Instagram, Tik-Tok, etc.). Should shop owners consider making this a career opportunity at their business as well? Could you learn?

JEFF WOOTEN Editor, jwooten@sbpub.com

SEPTEMBER 2022 SEPTEMBER 19-21:

SBI/NSSA Northeast Conference & Expo will take place at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence, Rhode Island. (signshop.com/nssa)

OCTOBER 2022 OCTOBER 19-21:

PRINTING United Expo, the most dynamic and comprehensive printing event in the world, returns as an in-person event at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. (printingunited.com)

NOVEMBER 2022 Photo: Shutterstock.com/ africastudio.

ased off a completely unscientific observation on my part, our industry’s decade-long efforts at better promoting signage careers is paying off. Awareness appears improved. For many years, when people learned I put together a magazine for the sign trade, four-out-of-five times their response would be, “There’s a sign trade? I never thought about how they were made.” Now when I try to head them off at the pass and go into proactive signsplaining mode, there are more Joe Pesciesque responses of, “Yeah, yeah, yeah. We know, we know!” As I said, “unscientific.” But the industry has been doing a great job spreading exposure about sign careers to the general public through increased initiatives, branding, career fairs, scholarships, educational classes, etc. But is it now time to comfortably move to the next level and explain to them that not all signs and graphics are the same? For this month’s cover story, I spoke with Rob Stortroen and Nick East, coowners of Star Trims Automotive in Riverton, Wyoming. Their company has been successfully rocking the signs, graphics, and vehicle wraps markets, bringing startling, creative designs to their community. One point that did not make it into the story about their work is related to education. East, who is also the lead graphics designer at the shop, says that when it comes to “design” there’s a night-andday difference between true-to-form graphics and wraps. “For instance, there

NOVEMBER 17-19:

Digital Signage Experience 2022, connecting the digital signage community with buyers and sellers and produced by Questex, will be co-located at the Las Vegas Convention Center with Live Design International (LDI) and XLIVE. (digitalsignageexperience.com)

signshop.com

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IN THE INDUSTRY

CONSUMER SURVEY:

elville, New York-The thought of fluorescent colors may bring back memories of TV’s Miami Vice or the urge to party like it’s 1989 all over again. However these vivid colors and hues are proving once again to have appeal with the consumer public. Digital imaging solutions leader Canon U.S.A., Inc., recently unveiled the results of the company’s latest survey, “Canon’s Fluorescent Color Impact Study,” which captures the powerful allure of fluorescent colors and validates consumers’ overwhelming support of the return and use of bright, bold colors in a broad range of

Sign Builder Illustrated

May 2022

materials and business settings (ranging from photographs and Pop Art to posters and signage). The study’s findings are based on a national survey of 1,000 U.S. citizens that was conducted in March 2022. According to the survey, three-outof-four consumers indicated they are more likely to pay attention to posters and signage that feature fluorescent colors, while more than 90 percent said they are very likely or somewhat likely to remember posters and signage printed in fluorescent colors. Meanwhile fluorescent’s ability to capture the modern consumer’s attention was evidenced by over two-thirds

of survey respondents agreeing that fluorescent colors are definitely making a comeback. “There’s no denying those fluorescent colors that dominated in the 1980s and 1990s are [making a resurgence],” said Sam Yoshida, executive vice president and general manager of Canon U.S.A., Inc. “Fluorescent seems to be everywhere now, and it’s compelling businesses, designers, and artists to reimagine their color palette and consider all the imaginative possibilities that come along with it.” Overall the new survey reveals that fluorescent colors will likely have staying power this time around. Other nosignshop.com

Photo: Shutterstock/iStudio Peace.

“FLUORESCENT COLORS ARE HAVING A MOMENT!”

BIG OUTDOOR INTRODUCES DIGITAL DISPLAY NETWORK IN AUSTIN

Photo: (Top) Canon Solutions America.

table findings of the “Fluorescent Color Impact Study” include: * A Study in Pink: A plurality of consumers (31 percent) believe that fluorescent pink is the most iconic color in art and culture as well as the most personally engaging of the fluorescent colors. * Fluorescent Ink: Fluorescent colors pop in digital and print, which explains why (55 percent) of consumers said they would like to buy a printer that uses fluorescent ink. * Positive Thoughts: When consumers see fluorescent colors, most feel happy signshop.com

(64.5 percent) and excited (47 percent). * Colorful Industries: Out of all the private sectors—including technology, retail, media, sports and travel/hospitality,—the fashion domain was surprisingly usurped by the world of entertainment as the industry consumers most associate with fluorescent colors.

USTIN, TEXAS— Premier outof-home (OOH) media company BIG Outdoor recently introduced the first-of-its-kind Austin Digital Network to the City of Austin, Texas. The centerpiece for the network is an 8 mm LED screen from SNA Displays’ EMPIRE™ Exterior line of video display technology. The new rooftop digital display replaced static signage on the rooftop of a building in the Rock Rose entertainment district of Domain NORTHSIDE, a shopping, dining, and entertainment destination in north Austin. The large format LED screen will be used for digital-out-of-home (DOOH) advertising as part of a larger display network that includes ten dual-faced, street-level digital kiosks, also owned and operated by BIG Outdoor. SNA Displays manufactured the directview LED in addition to providing project management services. The digital display is 19-feet-8inches tall and 24-feet-by-8-inches wide (750x940 pixels), giving it approximately 500 square feet of digital canvas and 705,000 total pixels. Austin-based Phoenix Signs performed installation services for the rooftop display.

“Fluorescent colors transcend industry and form,” said Tim Greene, research director of International Data Corporation (IDC). “More often than not, they capture the audience’s attention and engage consumers in new and compelling ways.” May 2022

Sign Builder Illustrated

SIGN SHOW CHANNEL LETTERS

DIGITAL PRINTING EQUIPMENT/SUPPLIES

SloanLED Lighting Solutions Provides Big Performance in Small Channel Letters

Canon Solutions America Extends proCARE After-sales Service Program Coverage

SloanLED has introduced SloanLED Prism12 Nano+, a premium 12 VDC LED channel letter lighting solution and the next generation of Nano modules for routed acrylic block letter, shallow channel letter, and backlit halo letter applications as shallow as 1-inch (25 mm). SloanLED Prism12 Nano+ is available in White (7200 K, 6500 K, 5000 K, 4000 K, and 3000 K), Red, Green, and Blue and delivers several advancements over its predecessor with improved elliptical optics for better light distribution, more modules per driver (with 250 white modules per 60 W power supply), a 22 AWG cable for increased safety and reduced voltage drop, and unprecedented efficacy of up to 160 lm/W. According to Barry Blythe, director of Sign Product Solutions at SloanLED, “Vastly improved efficacy on the white variants is the most significant change to our next generation of Nano. The results are lower running costs [and] improved ROI for the end client and modules per power supply, which benefits everyone.” sloanled.com

Designed for users of the Arizona flatbed and roll-to-roll Colorado series of printers, print service providers (PSPs) can now benefit from enhanced uptime and full cost transparency, as Canon Solutions America, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Canon U.S.A., Inc., expands its coverage of the proCARE after-sales service program. By providing on-site support with highest priority response times, and with parts, labor, travel time, preventive maintenance, and remote support all included, these customers can benefit from a very high return on investment and very high production uptime with outstanding and consistent output quality. Additional proCARE+ after-sales service program support options include premium onsite response and printhead replacement. The proCARE after-sales service program for both the Arizona and Colorado series of printers will be available directly from Canon Solutions America, offering a consistent and transparent service concept for PSPs. Contracts are available for thirty-six, forty-eight, or sixty months, with the option to extend for twelve or more months after the initial contract has ended. csa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/csa

FABRICS/SOFT SIGNAGE Fisher Textiles Amplifies Its Fabric Media Offerings Fisher Textiles presents its newest backlit fabric for SEG (silicone edge graphics), GF6050 Super Sonic, and frontlit pillow case display fabric, GF8860 Silver Back. Both are prevalent in the tradeshow and retail industries and are compatible with dye sublimation transfer printing. GF6050 Super Sonic is a soft, sueded knit fabric that produces excellent vibrancy of print, amplified when backlit. It is wrinkle-resistant and can fold to save on shipping and storage costs. A treated version of this fabric, DD6750 Super Sonic, is available for direct and UV-curable printing as well as a super-wide option, DD6650 Super Sonic. GF8860 Silver Back (pictured) is a soft signage fabric that has a unique knit construction with white yarns on the face of the fabric and blended white/black yarns on the back that give it a silver appearance. It is an opaque fabric that is 100 percent polyester with no coating on the back, which allows the fabric to keep its natural stretch while introducing an enhanced blockout construction to all pillow case displays that utilize aluminum tube frames. A treated version of this fabric, DD8800 Silver Back, is available for direct and UV-curable printing. (800) 554-8886; fishertextiles.com

Sign Builder Illustrated

May 2022

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HOW TO BUSINESS

BY JIM HINGST

Funding Your Business: The Plan

ast month, I provided details and explanations about the different types of business loans and lending programs that can aid your shop. If you decide to go to your bank and secure a business loan, you need preparation. To plead your case, you need to prepare a business plan, complete with financial records and projections. If you’re opening a new shop, you’ll also need an estimate of your startup costs. And as important as a business plan is in securing a business loan, it’s just as critical of a roadmap for how you will run your company. According to the business axiom, failing to plan is planning to fail. That’s only good advice if you take it. Unfortunately many new small business owners never take it. Fewer than 45 percent of small businesses create a formal

Sign Builder Illustrated

May 2022

business plan. Of those that do, about twothirds of their business owners acknowledge the plan contributed to the success of their companies. Not having a business plan is one reason that 20 percent of startups fail within the first year of operation. That’s really not too bad when you consider that, after five years, half of the businesses have closed their doors. By the tenth year, 90 percent have failed. Your business plan is your blueprint for creating a successful business. Developing a comprehensive business plan will address key opportunities and threats. It also requires that you understand your strengths and weaknesses as well as those of your competitors. By creating a comprehensive business plan outlining your strategies and tactics, you’ll maximize

your chances for success. Taking the time to develop a solid business plan also helps in securing a business loan. Lenders analyze an applicant’s business plan to determine the chances of a new venture succeeding. Without a sound plan, the odds that you’ll get approval for a loan are slim. A business plan should answer how your shop will overcome the key reasons for failure (marketing problems, financial problems, and personnel problems). In the financial section of your business plan, lenders not only want to review several years of past financial statements, they also want to evaluate future projections. The sales and marketing section is critical because problems in this area account for the majority of business signshop.com

Photo: Shutterstock.com/Rawpixel.

Writing a business plan for a commercial loan.

HOW TO BUSINESS

BY JIM HINGST

Photo: Shutterstock.com/Casper1774.

failures. Banks want to examine your market analysis, product and service offerings, sales and marketing plan, and threats from competition. The third most important segment of your business plan is your key personnel. This should list the primary managers in your shop, their responsibilities, and summaries of their experiences. Based on the information in your business plan, your bank will determine the likelihood that your shop will be successful and whether or not you’ll have problems repaying the loan. As you’re composing your business plan, think of it as your company’s resume to secure a loan. So write your business plan to address the Five Cs of Business Credit: Capacity, Capital, Character, Collateral, and Conditions. (Note: See last month’s column.) You can find templates for business plans on the Internet. Most of these formats are very similar in that each is divided into basic company operations. Let’s take a look at these typical sections. Executive Summary. The executive summary condenses your plan to a onepage abstract. It is similar to a lawyer’s opening statement at the beginning of a trial. Keep it short and sweet. Save the details for the body of the business plan. In this summary, briefly describe your company and your products and services. Explain your target market and the unmet needs of your prospects. Your summary also describes your primary competitors, what differentiates your shop from these rivals, and why your business will be successful. With respect to your loan request, spell out how much money you need, what you need the money for, and how much time you need before you realize a return on the investment. Business Description. Your company description provides an overview of your business—who you are and what you do. In a few sentences, you should concisely cover the basics. You can provide the details in the remainder of the plan. signshop.com

The basics should include: The name under which you operate in your state; the business structure (whether it is a sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC, or corporation); a list of your company’s key managers; your mission statement; your target market; the range of products and services that you provide; and your company goals. Market Analysis. The market analysis section of your business plan demonstrates to lenders that you know your market. What’s more, the opportunities are significant enough to sustain your business. In delineating the opportunities, you should cover the following topics: market potential (quantify the size of the current market size in dollars and cents and provide a projection for future market growth, which you could base on industry studies); target market (describe your ideal target customer, such as “private carriers with fleets less than fifty vehicles”); unmet market needs (describe any products and services your competitors do not provide then explain how your shop satisfies any of these unmet market needs); and barri-

ers to entry (list your skills that prevent a new competitor from doing what you do, thereby protecting a lender’s investment). Competitor Analysis. Writing the competitor analysis section of your business plan requires research, which you can do initially through the Internet. For more detailed information, vendors are a good source. (Caution: Be careful in sharing information about your shop with talkative salespeople.) You can also learn about your competitors’ production capabilities, pricing, and marketing efforts from employment interviews and from talking to their customers. After identifying their strengths and weaknesses, describe your strategy for competing with these competitors. Sales Analysis. To accompany the reporting of sales revenue in your income statements, you should chronicle your actual month-by-month sales performance against your goals. Your business plan should also include a sales budget for the upcoming years based on the trends May 2022

Sign Builder Illustrated

HOW TO BUSINESS

BY JIM HINGST

half of all business failures result from poor marketing. That’s why market research is so important. In the “sales and marketing” section of your business plan, you need to demonstrate a thorough understanding of your market and how your products and services will fulfill the unmet needs of your prospective customers.

in past performance. Other metrics that you should track and include in your business plan include the number of accounts added to your database; a 30-60-90-day rolling forecast; and the number of faceto-face sales calls from month-to-month. You should use the data of past perfor-

ket, your customer base, and your opportunities, as well as an understanding of the hurdles that confront your shop. Based on your sales analysis, you should also describe any modifications to your sales and marketing strategies to address any changes in buying behavior,

Financial Analysis. In qualifying for a loan, bankers will concentrate on the financial analysis portion of your business plan. This section should include three-year financial projections as well as historical records covering the past three to five years. Lenders use this information to judge the financial strength and profitability of your shop as well as to determine your ability to repay a loan. This section of your business plan should include three key statements—Income Statement, Balance Sheet, and Cash Flow Statement. The Income Statement helps lenders, as well as company owners, evaluate the performance of the business against its goals and past performance. It summarizes your shop’s income and expenses over a period of time. The difference between the two is your profit or, in some cases, your loss: Revenue – Expenses = Profit or Loss. The income statement provides measurements in key areas: sales, cost of goods sold, gross profit margin, shop and admin-

mance to explain the opportunities within different segments of your business, such as fleet graphics or tradeshow graphics. In your report, you should also provide any insights about product offerings, where you are underperforming. Use of graphs in your sales analysis can demonstrate your awareness of your mar12

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May 2022

competitive challenges, or impending economic storms on the horizon. Keep in mind that a company’s inability to recognize or respond to changing market conditions is one of the main reasons that new businesses fail. Marketing and Sales Plan. More than

istrative expense, returns and allowances, operating margin, and net profit. As a management tool, a shop owner can use this information to determine the performance of his or her managers in various areas of the business, including sales, administration, costing and production. Variances from one time period to signshop.com

Photo: Shutterstock/Neuevector.

A BUSINESS PLAN SHOULD ANSWER HOW YOUR SHOP WILL OVERCOME MARKETING, FINANCIAL, AND PERSONNEL PROBLEMS.

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HOW TO BUSINESS

BY JIM HINGST

another in these key areas can help owners spot trends as well as trigger warnings of potential problems. A historical record of growth in sales and profit along with responsible control of expenses provides lenders with critical information needed in the loan approval process. Lenders will look at trends in annual revenue as a key indication of the strength or weakness of your business. Balance Sheets are typically computed at the end of a financial period. It provides a snapshot of your finances at a single point in time versus an accounting of what transpired over a financial period. The balance sheet consists of three parts: assets (on the left-hand side), liabilities (on the right-hand side), and equity. Assets are what you own. Liabilities, on the other hand, are what you owe. The difference between assets less liabilities is

your equity: Assets = Liabilities + Equity. (Note: To read more details about putting this balance sheet together, please visit signshop.com.) The movement of cash in and out of a business is called cash flow. According to many studies, problems managing cash flow result in more than 75 percent of business failures. A Cash Flow Statement provides a lender with an overview of how well you manage your cash. The standard format for a cash flow statement summarizes financial transactions within your shop. The statement divides these transactions into three different financial categories: operating transactions (the most important part of any cash flow statement, it covers the day-to-day inflows and outflows of cash within your business), investing transactions (activities covering the purchase and sale of long-term assets, such as

buying or selling of a boom truck, computers, furniture, or a digital printer), and financing transactions (activities involving long-term liabilities, such as raising money through business loans or repayment of debt principal). Funding Request. You should write the funding request as a standalone document. Even though you have already provided a business description in your business plan, you should recap it in this section. Your description should explain your target market, business structure, standing in the market, and current financial position. Your funding request should describe why you need the loan and explain how it will improve your business. To help your chances of loan approval, try to quantify the expected return on investment. If you plan to use the money for various things, provide an itemization. Addendum. At the end of your business plan, you can include appropriate additional information. This may include support materials that your bank has requested, such as tax returns, real estate documents, and marketing materials. Conclusion As important as a business plan is as a blueprint for running a successful shop, it is also a critical tool in qualifying for a loan. Write your plan with the intention of persuading a lender that you’re very knowledgeable about your market and the competition that you face. What’s more, you have a thorough plan that satisfies an unmet market need that ensures the success of your business. According to Greg McKay, vice president of supplier Earl Mich Company, preparing a business plan is essential for any new business. “It improves your odds for success, and it helps you avoid failure,” he says. To this end, McKay reminds us of the “six Ps:” Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance.

Sign Builder Illustrated

May 2022

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HOW TO MANAGEMENT

BY DAVID HICKEY

The Wages of Sign

here’s an old cliché about keeping up with the neighbors—a cautionary tale of worrying too much about what your neighbors drive and where they vacation and the like. But when it comes to today’s highly competitive market for talented sign, graphics, and visual communications professionals, the wise company owner at least knows what the competition is doing. New research from the International Sign Association (ISA) provides wage and benefits data for more than sixty job functions in our industry. Having this information at hand can show exactly where your company stacks up, not just in salary but also in benefits. Findings are based on company type and region, which allows for a true comparison. In just looking at the highlights of the research, which was compiled by Association Research Inc., for ISA, it

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is clear that companies are going to need to step up salaries significantly in 2022. The average hourly worker can expect a 7.3 increase in wages in 2022, more than double what the average American worker expects in 2022. That last piece of research, which discovered an anticipated 3.4 percent increase for the typical American worker, comes from a Willis Towers Watson survey. The Willis survey noted that this 3.4 percent increase was higher than workers received in 2020 and 2021. That hourly workers in our industry can expect such a higher raise should be a powerful recruiting tool at a time when our industry needs workers. But it is not just the hourly workers. Even salaried management and operations positions can expect raises that are about double that of the average American worker. Also of interest—even starting sala-

ries in our industry outpace what is often cited as a living wage (fifteen dollars per hour). The vast majority of entrylevel jobs are above that rate, before bonuses and benefits are factored in. Our industry has such a strong story to tell about salaries—and we have an industry clearly in hiring mode. More than 60 percent of companies surveyed said they would hire in the last half of 2021 and more than twothirds expected to hire in the first half of this year. Each of those said they would hire between two and three employees on average. Those employees will receive benefits too, like paid vacations and holidays, which are standard across the board. Only the smallest companies in our industry do not provide health insurance for workers. Larger companies also kick in things like health insurance for dependents, dental and vision insurance, and a 401(k) plan. signshop.com

Photo: Shutterstock/J.J. Gouin.

Breaking down the ISA’s recent Wage & Benefit Report.

HOW TO MANAGEMENT

BY DAVID HICKEY

Facts & Figures: Wage and Benefit Report FINDINGS ARE BY COMPANY • type (i.e., local sign company) and region, allowing for true comparison. It also includes distinctions for hourly employees and sales personnel, as well as the impact of COVID-19 on wages and staffing.

Almost six in ten companies surveyed said they expected to hire in the second half of 2021, adding an average of 2.7 employees. More than two-thirds expected to hire in the first half of 2022, adding 2.5 employees.

•

“Paid holidays,” “paid vacations,” and a “casual dress code” were the most frequently cited benefits among all job types.

Nearly 700 companies • across the U.S. and Canada provided data to Association Research Inc., for the report.

We sometimes have a hard time getting attention for our industry in recruiting newcomers. Using the “2021 Wage & Benefits Report for the Sign, Graphics and Visual communications Industry” to ensure your company is in line with what others pay can help. It can also help keep your existing workers—who may just know what the sign company down the road is doing. To learn more about the wage and benefit report, visit www.signs.org/salary. And keep an eye out for more research coming later this year, one that puts some figures around the size of our industry in the United States. David Hickey is vice-president of Government Affairs at the International Sign Association. If you have any questions or comments about this article, email him at David.Hickey@signs.org.

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Sign Builder Illustrated

May 2022

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September 19-21, 2022

Rhode Island Convention Center Providence, RI

Prepare Your Sign Shop for Success Learn how to increase your sign shop’s sales and profits through strong business management, improving operational efficiency, and expanding product offerings. SBI and NSSA have collaborated to create a program designed to help both sign shop owners and employees navigate a rapidly changing industry landscape, an unstable economic outlook, and the influx of non-sign companies offering signage services. PLUS: A large exhibit hall will showcase digital and flatbed printers, laminators, CNC routers, engravers, LED Displays, channel letter benders, service trucks and many more—everything you need to serve existing clients and attract new clients.

Learn More www.signshop.com/nssa

EXHIBIT SALES: David Harkey T: 973.563.0109 E: dharkey@sbpub.com EVENT INQUIRIES: conferences@sbpub.com ASSOCIATION INQUIRIES: Tricia Smack • tricia.smack@nssasign.org

TOP 5 REASONS TO ATTEND: 1 • Spend time building your business instead of just working in it. 2 • Streamline your workflow by maximizing your shop layout and production methods.

SPEAKERS INCLUDE:

• Learn how to combat the labor shortage with better hiring and employee retention practices. 4 • Expand your profits with proven sales strategies and methods to break into new markets. • Walk away armed with all the tools you need to become a better business owner.

VIEW OUR EXHIBITORS AT www.signshop.com/nssa

AUTHOR DAVE FELLMAN to speak on employee retention and 5 principles for sales success.

JOHN HACKLEY Chief Efficiency Officer Oculus Business Solutions, Inc.

FEATURE WRAPS VEHICLE NAME BY JEFF AUTHOR WOOTEN

WHERE THE WRAPS ROAM

he town of Riverton, Wyoming is comprised of nearly 14,000 people nestled in a county with a population of 40,000. Geographically speaking, Riverton is in the middle of wide-open Wyoming. The blue-collar, rural community is surrounded by farms and oil fields and corners two reservations of the Shoshone and Arapahoe tribes. However an infusion of wild, creative, and energetic—yet highly effective— wrap designs are adorning a lot of SUVs, pick-up trucks, and other vehicles roaming the area. The company responsible for producing these stunning wraps for clients in the area (as well as those hours away) is Star 22

Sign Builder Illustrated

May 2022

Trims Automotive, also located in Riverton and owned and operated by Rob Stortroen and Nick East. Word about them is spreading faster than any speed limit can contain! The shop is consistently booked two weeks out with project requests. And in a community somewhat disconnected from mainstream trends, their amazing feats further prove the skills of the talented people working there. They’re showing “Small Town USA” that vehicle graphics can draw more attention and business than they can imagine. “Being so far away from the outside world means that every design we do for customers carries a special treatment to

it,” says Stortroen. “Every design we do is significant, whether it’s simple spot graphics or a full wrap.” Stortroen started up Star Trims Automotive back in 2006. The business began in one small bay, where Stortroen performed window tints, detailing, and clear bras (a paint protection film applied to the front of a vehicle). Today Star Trims Automotive has expanded into a larger building with one front office and two larger bays. “We just rented another bay because our workload is so overwhelming,” says Stortroen. Meanwhile East arrived at the industry fresh, describing his career before joining Star Trims Automotive as “a roughneck signshop.com

All Photos: Star Trims Automotive.

Wide-open designs for wide-open areas.

The Casper, Wyoming client requested an “edgy, metal, and mechanical” design for his Silverado wrap.

Front hood.

Roof.

Tailgate.

on a drilling rig.” However the Wyoming Tech graduate has been working in automotive jobs since 2004, citing “a passion for cool hot rods and custom vehicles.” Interestingly East started out as one of Stortroen’s customers. After moving with his wife to Riverton to take on a job in the oil fields, he frequently took their vehicles to Star Trims Automotive for window tint work. A friendship soon developed, and Stortroen, when he made the decision nearly two years ago to get more involved with vehicle graphics and decals, invited East to join his company. A quick learner, East is today the head of the graphics department at Star Trims Automotive and does all the design signshop.com

work. Stortroen credits him with knowing “everything” about film and vinyl. They also now have four other employees on staff. Stortroen says that they’re a very tight-knit group that relies heavily on each other. “We all work together as a team, whether it’s graphics, window tints, detailing, etc.,” he says. “We literally take people’s dreams and create magic out of that.” Their work today is evenly split between spot graphics, partial wraps, and full wraps. When they expanded into the field of vehicle graphics, Star Trims Automotive initially did more custom jobs, but they have since moved into municipal and

commercial work as a whole. They also frequently give back to their community whenever possible—providing wraps for first responders, cancer patients, and the disabled community. They also print and ship (mostly small spot graphics) to other shops across the country. Both Stortroen and East are amazed to see a rural community such as Riverton welcome the type of graphics work they do. But with demand also comes the need for education. East says he often explains to customers that text on the side of a vehicle comes down to “size versus speed.” He stresses to commercial clients to think differently on how information is presented on a May 2022

Sign Builder Illustrated

Nick East (left) and Rob Stortroen.

vehicle as opposed to a billboard. “You can’t just put a funny thought on a vehicle wrap if people can’t read it because it’s too far away from them,” says East. Speaking of designs, Star Trims Automotive recently created an exciting full wrap on a client’s 2014 Chevy Silverado truck. The customer is located 120 miles away in Casper, Wyoming, and he came to them wanting the “baddest ass wrap” they could produce. There was no budget, so money was not an issue. “He just wanted to have the coolest truck in Casper,” says East. Because they are still slightly new to the vehicle wraps market, Star Trims Automotive contacted design expert Daniel Nava of Travel Wraps Graphics/IBOW Training in Franklin, Indiana to help with the design. East has taken several of Nava’s online design courses, and the shop has struck up a friendship with the trainer, even venturing out to Indiana to help him out on some jobs. Star Trims Automotive does lots of outside research in order to bring the best of graphic design and wrap expertise to their customers and tries to pull from everyone in the industry. East cites John Wiley, owner of Don’t Drive Naked®, and Shane Lloyd, founder of Gecko Wraps, as not only points of reference but also good friends. 24

Sign Builder Illustrated

May 2022

“We ask them about the kinds of problems they run into and what advice they have to solve them,” says East. “Even though we operate in a small community, we are bringing big-market concerns to them.” This customer wanted an “edgy, metal, and mechanical” wrap design, and Nava and East talked for hours about it.

EVERY DESIGN WE DO IS SIGNIFICANT, WHETHER IT’S SIMPLE SPOT GRAPHICS OR A FULL WRAP. They concluded that a reflective material would work best, so East selected Arlon’s IllumiNITE Wrap® reflective film. But what imagery would be included in the design? When East provided a rough quote for the wrap to the customer (based off the year of the Silverado), he also designed and supplied a questionnaire for him to fill out. Questions included favorite colors and activities, as well as music preferences. “For example, when someone tells

us they want ‘wild,’ and we learn that they listen to older, twangy country music, their ‘wild’ and my ‘wild’ might be two different conversations,” says East. The customer’s responses helped Nava and East shape an appropriate design for this wrap. (Note: This was not a start-to-finish process, as the two collaborated on the design over a couple of months.) East used the ProVehicle Outlines template to work up the wrap design measurements for layout and Photoshop to put the design together. Experienced in the art of commercial graphics, Nava employed a mix of perspective shadows and brushes to the design in Photoshop. East credits Nava for inspiring the wrap design, pointing out the shapes and movements featured on it that successfully gives it a ’90s mini-truck feel. “That’s something [Nava] always preaches—give the vehicle flow and movement so that the graphics don’t end up choppy,” he says. When it was time for the installation, East told the customer that the better the paint was on the truck then the better the wrap would turn out. “So he had the entire truck repainted!” he says. “When he dropped it off with us, it featured beautiful paint and a beautiful surface. Everything was ready for us to wrap!” signshop.com

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Upfront Talk with Customers HARD WORK, teamwork, and being true to your word may sound like oldfashioned ideals to some, but they’re an essential business philosophy at Star Trims Automotive. “There are too many businesses who treat people as a number, and we can’t do that. And we don’t. And we never have,” says Owner Rob Stortroen. “We treat people as an individual.” The company is always upfront with their customers, setting realistic expectations and not hiding anything from them. They tell them, “This is how long we’ve been told it’s going to arrive,” “this is how long it’s going to take us when it gets here,” and “this is when you should expect your vehicle back.”

Star Trims Automotive used a lot of heat and steam to apply the IllumiNITE Wrap reflective film to the pickup truck. “In fact, steam was the biggest source of heat on that wrap, since we were using a reflective vinyl,” says East. “Reflective is temperamental and bruises easily, which can distort the reflective pattern in it.” Since the company hadn’t tackled a wrap of this magnitude before, they invited Shane Lloyd to come out to their facility and help out with the installation. He happily accepted and even provided some essential advice. “[Lloyd] told us that using ceramic coating would give the wrap a better look and a really beautiful shine,” says East. “So we applied Ceramic Pro PPF and a vinyl coating over the top of the wrap when we were done with it.” Since the client had put so much money into the Silverado wrap and

they had put in so much time, Star Trims Automotive went over post-care instructions diligently with him. They told him to avoid high-pressure and automatic car washes, instead recommending hand washes. “We let him know that, because it has a ceramic coating, it’s going to have a longer life, and it’s going to be easier to maintain,” says East. “But it’s still like a paint job. It needs to be maintained and taken care of so that it can have the longest life and appearance possible.” According to East, the client was enthusiastically “blown away” when he picked up his newly wrapped truck. “We always take pictures of our work and share them on Facebook,” says East. “Yet before we even had a chance to do that, he had already posted photos and promoted the wrap all over his Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook accounts!”

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WAYFINDING BY JEFF WOOTEN

Sign Builder Illustrated

May 2022

signage (digital and static), room ID’s, and various branding elements. Creative Sign Designs, LLC is a nationally recognized, full-service provider of custom, exterior, and interior signage and environmental graphics solutions. Their corporate headquarters is based from a 50,000-square-foot integrated manufacturing facility in Tampa, Florida, with another manufacturing location in Orlando.

An outdoor attraction hosts attractive wayfinding. “[Pointe Orlando owners] desired a company who could take on the challenge, work through the complex design, and develop a consistent, efficient way to manage, manufacture, and install all the signage,” says Creative Sign Designs Director of Sales Dean Brooks. “We have the ability to fully understand and take conceptual drawings and convert those to actual fabrication draw-

ings. We also can develop fabrication methods to meet the complexity of the design required.” The sign company states that, for maximum effectiveness, it is essential that signage programs “be capable of guiding people to, through, and out of facilities in an orderly manner.” These philosophies are prominently on display throughout this project. “The overall project included more façade and dramatic lighting in lieu of standard functional lighting, new wayfinding signage, upgraded landscaping, environmental graphics, and site amenities,” says Brooks. Creative Sign Designs designed and custom-created wayfinding signage for Pointe Orlando that included bright and visible colors with dramatic shapes and layers that add depth. All of the wayfinding signage is branded together so that there is a consistent, even flow. Creative Sign Designs also provided custom paint finishing to many of the pieces. One of the main things that stands out is the shape of the signs. “There are no rectangles here,” says Brooks. “They are modern and unique!” The signs were designed to have curved faces and project diagonally to

Valet area canopy

All Photos: Creative Sign Designs.

ointe Orlando is an outdoor dining and entertainment destination that’s located along busy International Drive next to the country’s second-largest convention center and surrounded by 46,000 hotel rooms on Orlando’s primary tourism corridor. Since 1998, Pointe Orlando has been the Convention Center District’s premier dining and entertainment complex, made particularly attractive since, unlike traditional enclosed malls, it’s open-air-type design allows guests the ability to “enjoy year-round mild weather.” However the owners of Pointe Orlando recently undertook the redevelopment of this property in an effort to improve connectivity throughout the center, create gathering places, improve sense of place, add artistic experiential elements, and elevate tenant visibility. Examples include The Link, a new, visually captivating one hundred-footlong passageway featuring lit ceilings, artistic floor patterns, and retail storefronts that improve first-floor connectivity for guests. The center’s two valet areas were upgraded with an elegant valet canopy featuring a glass overhang, column uplighting, and mounted signage, which both creates a sense of arrival and enhances the atmosphere while guests wait under cover for their vehicles. A new gathering space was created in the center’s primary courtyard, with colorful seating, playful shade structures, and new upscale lighting, which replaced a previously existing pond. Meanwhile the two prominent corners of the property were reimagined with a sculptural centerpiece that draws the eye and announces the project to pedestrians and vehicles on International Drive. Accompanying this renovation was the need for new signage that would guide guests along this makeover. To realize this, Creative Sign Designs, LLC partnered with Brixmor Properties to fabricate and install new wayfinding

signshop.com

Digital directory

THE POINTE

OF WAYFINDING

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May 2022

Sign Builder Illustrated

Vehicular directionals

one side. Creative Sign Designs undertook a full custom build to achieve this. “To add complexity, we included acrylic push-thru copy and symbols that were consistent with the curved face,” explains Brooks. Brooks stresses that signage can play a huge role in keeping things modern and fresh on a property. “Older and out-of-date signage can indicate that a property may not offer newer or updated retailers and restaurants that are more desirable,” he says. “Technology today offers a wide variety of amenities that come to be expected.” For example, Creative Sign Designs took advantage of popular interactive directories on this project. “At this site, they’re not only popular for guests, but the owners have taken advantage of advertising revenue with them,” says Brooks, “which allows them a good return-on-investment.” At Pointe Orlando, the on-premise

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digital directories not only offer guests the ability to interact with the technology but also can even take selfie photos of the user. The digital directories incorporate a high-end LG-MRI touch screen display. Air flow and rainwater disbursement were essential challenges to address in order for the LG display to keep within its factory warranty. “This was so critical that LG-MRI officials flew to our facility to oversee the development of the custom air duct and water disbursement system,” says Brooks. “These systems had to be designed and fabricated by hand once we installed the display itself.” LG-MRI tested each unit to make certain these systems were working properly. “According to LG-MRI, [we] were the first company to be able to design a complete shroud (cabinet) to house this type of digital display without voiding its factory warranty,” says Brooks.

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The project had high-end hardscapes being installed, which mostly included glass beading embedded within. This meant that all the signage had to be installed in specific phases. “This limits what can be placed on the hardscape such as crane truck, lifts, and equipment for install,” says Brooks. “We worked with the general contractor to make sure we were respecting finished work and utilizing equipment that did not compromise other trades.” This was also an “active” site at the time, meaning it was still open to the public during the day and evening. This limited Creative Sign Designs’ working hours at the site, requiring detailed preplanning to “get in and get out” during the tight work hours.” The vehicular directionals were installed with poured foundations using a direct buried steel support column. The general contractor provided primary

electrical advance of their sign install. The digital directories were installed via poured foundations with embedded threaded rod for sign attachment. The general contractor made sure all the electrical and data lines were in place prior to the install. The blade sign wayfinding proved to be a simple install using Tapcons. The general contractors provided wall blocking in advance. For the canopy-mounted channel letters with raceway, Creative Sign Designs met up at the site with the general contractor and sub-tier contractor who manufactured and installed the canopy to determine how to best attach the signage. “We created custom brackets based off their shop drawings,” says Brooks. “Our raceway had to be a specific radius, so our design team

took templates to make sure their shop drawings were accurate. The sign ended up being a perfect fit.” Consistency played a key role with Creative Sign Designs on this project— both with the owners of Pointe Orlando and the contractors. The company provided weekly updates and progress photos to the client. Meanwhile consistent coordination and communication with the general contractor during planning and installation proved vital, as it allowed the installation to move seamlessly and efficiently (although the pandemic did cause things to slow down at the site and change priorities on what went up when). When it comes to sign design, Brooks feels that a basic sign is looked at differently than a sign designed with bright, inviting colors and unique shaping. “You can’t help but look at this signage—mission accomplished!”

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May 2022

Sign Builder Illustrated

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INTERPRETIVE CNCSIGNAGE ROUTER

BY BRAD BY SBI BURNETT STAFF

ECOLOGY

ON DISPLAY All Photos: iZone Imaging.

An ecological exhibit gets an interpretive upgrade.

he goal of the Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum, located at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, is to “inspire wonder and reverence for our living planet.” One of the Museum’s exhibits, “Life Submerged,” allows visitors to interact and learn all about marine systems through beautiful interpretive signage and bright ecosystem displays. Two of the displays explain the differences and signshop.com

similarities of life found in freshwater ecosystems versus saltwater ecosystems, highlighting a coral reef and deep-sea thermal vent as well as a cross section through a river. The third display discusses climate and how sudden change can “harm plants, disrupt animal habitats, and cause extreme weather,” as well as methods that can help control excessive carbon output. The Monte L. Bean Life Science Mu-

seum recently upgraded the interpretive signage for this exhibit with custom High Pressure Laminate (HPL) signage from iZone Imaging in Temple, Texas. “We used iZone’s High Pressure Laminate throughout the ‘Life Submerged’ exhibit because it is impervious to moisture and can withstand high traffic for years to come,” said one Brigham Young University staff member. Six panels featuring informative May 2022

Sign Builder Illustrated

UV Print Technology: Bringing Braille In-house THERE ARE SEVERAL advantages for sign shops and graphics providers to bring ADA Braille signage production in-house—higher profit margins, more quality control, and the ability to meet the demand for more creative signage. Some shops are using RIP software to incorporate Braille into their designs. Some also utilize onestep-process UV print technology to produce Braille signage. If you are one of them, Derek Moffett, product manager at MUTOH America, stresses to make sure that your equipment is clean, aligned, and in proper working order. “They should also spot-check their Braille for ADA compliance using a micrometer,” he says. “I also recommend using a jig when printing large amounts of Braille. This makes it much easier to load and unload materials, cutting down on a lot of time and labor.

Sign Builder Illustrated

May 2022

Materials used in the creation of ADA Braille signage include plastic, acrylic, photopolymer, and metal. The important thing to keep in mind here is that guidelines dictate that the ADA portion of the signs needs to be non-reflective. When it comes to ADA design trends, Moffett says, “Many customers these days are demanding more aesthetically pleasing ADA signs that are themed to match the overall interior design of the building.”

graphics were created for this exhibition upgrade. The Monte L. Beam Science Museum created the graphics for these interpretive displays and sent the productionready files to iZone. They also supplied the custom shape art from which iZone Imaging created the cutlines. To meet the needs of the Museum, this project required iZone Imaging to print the panels on a 13-degree arc. The new panels are displayed using a custom pedestal display. The panels are attached to each mount plate via screws. “Since the panels are chemically inert and do not off gas, the Museum thought this would make them suitable for their environment,” says Stephni Coufal, sales and marketing director at iZone Imaging. “These panels can even be used in sensitive environments where artifacts need to be protected.” The project only took three weeks to realize—from the initial ordering of the panels to delivery to installation. Monte L. Beam Science Museum partners on this project were Museum Director Duke Rogers, Construction & Technical Specialist Kraig Allen, Graphic Designer and Illustrator Randal Baker, Education Professional Katy Knight, and Exhibits Designer Travis Schnenck. signshop.com

Photo: (Sidebar) MUTOH America.

The new plate-mounted interpretive panels for the “Life Submerged” exhibit were attached to custom pedestals.

SIGN CNCLIGHTING ROUTER

BYBY BRAD ASHLEY BURNETT BRAY

THE SKINNY ON

STADIUM SIGNAGE Creating a super-slim sign cabinet for inside a new stadium.

All Photos: High Impact Signs, Steel, and Specialties.

pened in the summer of 2020, Allegiant Stadium is located adjacent to the Las Vegas Strip and serves as the home of the Las Vegas Raiders NFL team. With a capacity of 65,000, the fully enclosed and climate-controlled stadium hosts world-class entertainment including concerts and special sporting events. This massive stadium is backed by some impressive, NFL superstar-level statistics: 28,000 tons of structural steel, twelve miles of drilled shaft concrete, forty-four escalators, and 75,000 square feet of video boards were all part of the stadium’s construction. But let’s focus in on one particular sign in this project—a 6-foot-by-24-foot Coca-Cola cabinet sign located in the upper seating areas. High Impact Signs, Steel, and Specialties in Henderson, Nevada was brought

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in on the project through the global brand experience agency ASTOUND Group. “They got a bunch of the work for the interior, and we got a handful of that work,” explains Eric Thomas, operations manager at High Impact Signs, Steel, and Specialties. “Also we did various other signage around the property— panel flex cabinets, acrylic letters, illuminated vases, [and] decorative pieces— and we still do some service contracts for other vendors on some of the message units and things like that.” High Impact Signs has been around since the early ’90s. When the current owner bought the business about twelve years ago, they expanded into Vegas and have been growing ever since. “We pride ourselves on being able to do everything,” says Thomas, who explains the full-service company handles everything from small vinyl graphics to

large electronic message centers. For the Coca-Cola sign, High Impact Signs built the cabinet from welded aluminum and used polycarbonate for the face. The inside of the cabinet was painted with white Axalta paint to help with

May 2022

Sign Builder Illustrated

The sign cabinet was beholden to the ADA standards of not protruding further than four inches from the wall, so High Impact Signs worked with SloanLED to find the best lighting solution that would avoid any shadowing, hotspots, or banding.

light disbursement. The main challenge in fabricating the cabinet was that, despite its size, it had to be thin. “Normally cabinets of that size and scale go between six to twelve inches deep,” says Thomas. “That cabinet, where it lived in the stadium, was beholden to the ADA standards of not protruding further than four inches from the wall. So that really restricted us on how deep we could make the cabinet.” In addition to the challenges on depth, High Impact Signs had to make sure the cabinet was sturdy, since it would be at the pedestrian level and accessible to the public. “We wanted to make sure that it was a very stout cabinet and that the face hung in there very well since it’s down [there] available to the public,” says Thomas. “It can be touched or leaned on—all those kinds of things. “[We needed] good retainers [and] a good hanging bar system; it had to be able to be touched without denting or easily being scratched.” A first-surface, digital print laminate 36

Sign Builder Illustrated

May 2022

printed with an HP Latex printer was used for the face. The graphic includes the Coca-Cola logo, the words “Red Zone,” and a red stripe against a black background. To match the Coca-Cola brand colors, including that signature red, Thomas says

WHEN WORKING WITH INTERIOR ILLUMINATED SIGNS, IT’S IMPORTANT TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE AMBIENT LIGHTING. they do a lot of hand matching. “We’ll print out large swaths of samples and then hand match under the correct lighting to make sure that we get it correct,” he explains. “The only way to do it right is to get it under the right lighting and have somebody manually make sure that we’re doing it. We don’t ever trust just print formulas or anything like that.

We have our team actually make sure that it matches.” To illuminate the face of the cabinet, High Impact Signs used SloanLED BrightLINE LED strips mounted 1.75 inches behind the face at four inches off center. “Bringing that [cabinet] all the way down to four inches put us in a situation where to get the appropriate amount of framing and maintain any kind of depth for lighting was very hard, especially without having any kind of shadowing, hotspots, or banding,” explains Thomas, who says the shop worked with SloanLED to find the right product for the shallow cabinet. When working with interior illuminated signs like the Coca-Cola cabinet, Thomas says it’s very important to pay attention to the ambient lighting around the sign. “That’s something that we run into a lot—really making sure that we get the right lighting in comparison to what the customer’s actually going to see as far as their ambient lighting,” says Thomas. “In the stadium, there are lots of competing light sources, so we tried to take that into signshop.com

account. How bright is our cabinet going to be? What is the color rendering going to look like when you see it under that lighting? Things of that nature.” It took three to four weeks to finish the cabinet construction, and then High Impact Signs transported the cabinet on a trailer to the job site. The stadium had larger access points and bigger walkways, so the sign company was able to transport the sign cabinet in only two sections. The face and its hanging bar were assembled on the field because getting these longer pieces into the building was more of a hurdle. The sign cabinet was bolted to the wall, and since the sign was so low, no service equipment was needed to complete the installation. The stadium wasn’t open yet when High Impact Signs installed the sign cabinet, so access wasn’t an issue. However Thomas says meeting the deadline leading up to the opening was close. “We had some pretty tight dates to get all our signage up for that property,” he says. signshop.com

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO MANAGE A SUCCESSFUL SIGN BUSINESS To run a successful sign shop, you need to run a successful business. Sign Builder Illustrated can help. Not only do we focus on the work you do on the shop floor, but we also focus on the work you do to improve the success and wellbeing of you and your team.

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MARKETPLACE FOR ADVERTISING OPTIONS CONTACT: GARY LYNCH (212-620-7247) glynch@sbpub.com

Graphics. Dimensional. Lighting. Digital. Installation. Operations.

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SIGN BUILDER’S

BUYER’S GUIDE

Your Direct Source for Products & Services Get access to vital product and service information from manufacturers and distributors by visiting www.signbuilderdirectory.com.

COMPANY

URL

Avery Dennison Graphics

www.averydennison.com

InfoDirect #

PAGE

Duxbury Systems

www.duxburysystems.com

Echod Graphics

www.echodgraphics.com

Gemini

www. geminimade.com

Gyford

www.standoffsystems.com

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www.jpplus.com

Keystone Technologies

www.KeystoneTech.com

Mimaki USA

www.mimakiusa.com

MUTOH

www.MUTOH.com

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Rowmark

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SAi

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5 3 32 30 20-21

SBI/NSSA

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SDS Automation

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13 C4

Southern Stud Weld

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ThinkSign

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Wilkie Mfg.

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9 C3

COMPANIES IN SIGN SHOW 21

Canon Solutions America, Inc.

www.csa.canon.com

Fisher Textiles

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SloanLED

www.sloanled.com

HOW TO NAVIGATE A CHANGING SIGN LANDSCAPE SBI’s new webinar series—On the Floor—is your compass to all the challenges sign shops face. Our series provides actionable steps to help your sign shop thrive amidst the expanding digital signage landscape and everyday operational challenges.

www.signshop.com/resources

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SBI OPERATIONS DIGITAL SIGNS

BY JERRY REESE

messaging that works well for customers in line at a bank branch where the viewer is an existing account holder will likely not translate well in the grocery store environment.

Smart digital signage content solutions.

ith nearly 4,000 branches located inside grocery and other retail stores in the U.S., banks and credit unions have a unique opportunity to provide customers and members with convenient, on-the-go access to their finances and banking experts to give them valuable advice. Beyond simply using the real estate footprint and static or wayfinding signage to highlight the availability of banking nearby, innovative institutions go further by using digital signage to their best advantage. For these express service-oriented branches, digital signage provides a powerful engagement tool for attracting potential customer attention and delivering promotional and educational messages to the constant stream of grocery store patrons. However some bank marketers miss the mark because they fail to take a few necessary steps to customize their messaging for this unique environment. By not customizing messages to the environment and the shopper, banks undermine the power of their digital signage

platform and miss out on opportunities the in-store environment is primed to provide. This is where your sign shop comes in. Teach your bank customers how to get the most out of their digital sign content by tailoring their message strategy to the customers present in the store and the specific characteristics of the environment. Having a well thought-out communication strategy for in-store branches is mission critical as competition for customers rises all around. Here are some best practices to teach your clients:

Sign Builder Illustrated Magazine (Print ISSN 895-0555, Digital ISSN 21614709) (USPS#0015-805) (Canada Post Cust. #7204564; Agreement #40612608; IMEX Po Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2, Canada) is published monthly 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

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Sign Builder Illustrated

May 2022

Know the environment. Successful messaging for in-store branches should first consider the characteristics of the grocery retail environment, such as traffic patterns, customer demographics, and instore behaviors. For example, digital signage screens at a grocery store branch are viewed by shoppers passing through the checkout lanes, most of who are likely not already a bank customer. That means transaction zone

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Placement and readability. Lastly marketers must understand that the grocery store is a noisy, visually cluttered environment, so clear, focused messaging that can be easily read and digested is critical. Proximity and position of digital message screens relative to the store traffic and shopper activity must be a major consideration. Can shoppers plainly view the digital screen while standing at the checkout or will they most likely see the screen on their path into or out of the store? Even more, the typical viewing distance between customer and digital screen is quite different than in a traditional branch, so visuals must be appropriately designed and scaled to optimize viewer readability. Taken together, these best practices will help ensure effectiveness of this powerful medium. Jerry Reese is Group Account Director at Adrenaline (adrenalineagency.com), an end-to-end brand experience company serving the financial industry. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Sign Builder Illustrated, PO Box 239, Lincolnshire IL 60069-0239 USA. 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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Market to the environment. Instead advise your bank and credit union clients to apply a brand promotion strategy coupled with products that drive new customer relationships—like new checking and savings accounts. Recommend messages that highlight banking products that easily co-exist with a prospect’s current primary banking provider like credit cards, mortgage loans, and home equity lines of credit. Credit card usage is also top-of-mind for grocery shoppers as they approach the bank branch, having just used their card at the checkout. So, overarching messaging should prioritize card promotions over lessrelevant topics, like retirement planning.

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