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by jeff wooten
December 2013, Vol. 27, No. 222
Behind-the-Sign Story Team-building can be one part of a project’s success.
Sign Builder Illustrated (ISSN 0895-0555) print, (ISSN 2161-0709) digital is published by Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation executive offices
President and Chairman Arthur J. McGinnis, Jr. Publisher Arthur J. sutley 55 Broad Street, 26th floor New York, NY 10004 212/620-7247; fax: 212/633-1863 editorial editor
Jeff Wooten
323 Clifton Street, Suite #7 Greenville, NC 27858 252/355-5806; fax: 252/355-5690 jwooten@sbpub.com associate editor
S
ometimes it’s the hidden details that can play an instrumental role in the success of a sign project (in addition to the more visible design, fabrication, and installation aspects). This month, you’ll find several articles that feature projects of quality craftsmanship, yet their behind-the-scenes components (quality employees, customer service, third-party suppliers, thorough planning, etc.) also proved to be key pieces of the sign-making puzzle—pieces that can be utilized at your shop as well. A team of creative employees. Our cover story (p. 24) involves a sign shop, KDF Graphics of Rockleigh, New Jersey, working after hours to create an eight-and-a-half-foottall, aquatic-themed sign sculpture for an online sign competition. Although not by pre-planned design, each of the company’s six employees have creative skills of some sort—whether as a builder, an artist, a designer, or a photographer. “Most of our jobs are super-fast turnarounds because everyone here is well rounded and can run the [in-shop] equipment,” says President Stephen Hoey. “So a piece doesn’t have to go from department to department. Everyone just ‘dives’ right in here.” It’s a real team atmosphere that really generates quick results on time (including beating a looming deadline). Keeping customers in the loop. Speaking of “on time,” Tom Stade owns one-man-shop Moosehead Signs in Greenville, Maine, and his identity sign work for a newspaper involved prismatic letters and a router-cut moose (p. 50). Tom gave this client a three-week timeframe to draw up, build, and install everything for them, but being he’s a one-man operation, it doesn’t take but a few jobs to find himself
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Ashley Bray
busy. Tom is still adamant about meeting any deadlines, and he is upfront with customers if he cannot. “If I see that I might be headed over-schedule, I’ll keep them up-to-date,” he says. “I might even send them a picture showing them where I’m at in the process. They seem to enjoy that.” Although Tom is the sole sign maker at his business, this is great advice for a shop of any size. Third-party relationships. In our “Signs of Giving” story (p. 40), Jim Vitous, owner of Custom Designs Signs in Keene, New Hampshire, offers tips for working with donor recognition signage. One project required him to use a third-party supplier (AMI Graphics) to convert old photographs into high-resolution files. Their coordination of the transfer of large files was important here. “We find that Dropbox works great,” he says, noting that a tight deadline meant a need for tight contact with their supplier. “We kept them informed of when we needed things and the status of the job as the deadline grew closer. In fact, we had final approval only three days before the celebration.” Detailed planning. “Moving to Higher Ground” (p. 46) details how The Baldus Company of Fort Wayne, Indiana completed the fabrication and installation of five distinct wayfinding sign types for Manchester University in North Manchester, Indiana. Doing so required the firm to develop a Campus Signage Master Plan. “This plan involved extensive client interaction, research of the University’s brand standards, and exploration of a multitude of design concepts,” explains Dave Weadock, project manager at The Baldus Company, “yet doing so allowed us to achieve the best location and construction for each sign type.”
Sign Builder Illustrated // December 2013
55 Broad Street, 26th Floor New York, NY 10004 401/722-5919; fax: 212/633-1863 abray@sbpub.com contributing writers
Butch “superfrog” Anton, Mike Antoniak, Bill Dundas, Jim hingst, ted Konnerth, Peter Perszyk, Mark roberts, lori shridhare, randy Wright art
Corporate Art Director Wendy Williams production
Corporate Production Director Mary Conyers circulation
Circulation Director Maureen Cooney advertising sales national sales director
Jeff sutley 212/620-7233; fax: 212/633-1863 jeffsutley@sbpub.com west & midwest regional sales manager
Kim noa
212/620-7221; fax: 212/633-1863 knoa@sbpub.com
For reprint information contact Arthur J. Sutley 55 Broad St, 26th Floor New York, NY 10004 212/620-7247; fax: 212/633-1863 Circulation Dept. 800/895-4389
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