Sign Builder August 2021

THE HOW-TO MAGAZINE

AU G U S T 2021 | S I G N S H O P.CO M

SIGN BUILDER

ILLUSTRATED

TAKING STOCK OF YOUR MATERIALS INTERIOR GRAPHICS: EAST END GATEWAY SPANDREL

HDU SIGNS:

SECURING AN IDENTITY

CONTENTS AUGUST 2021

VOL. 35

NO. 313

HOW-TO COLUMNS

12 16 19

SECURITY WITH HDU

By Jeff Wooten Combining HDU with the NSA for use in a living wall.

TRAFFIC CONTROL CHANGES

By David Hickey Heeding changes to roadway signage.

THE COVID WAR

By Eric Lazar A veteran printer’s tale of addressing pandemic stress.

DEPARTMENTS

4 6

Cover Photo: Shutterstock/Trodler.

8 34 36

EDITOR’S COLUMN

Editor Jeff Wooten presents blind items about some sign shop practices and reveals why they’re an important how-to process too.

IN THE INDUSTRY

The results are in regarding Sign Builder Illustrated’s survey to the industry about wellness in the sign shop, and Watchfire Signs is seeking submissions for its seventh annual LED Sign Awards program.

SIGN SHOW

The newest products and services from sign manufacturers.

SBI MARKETPLACE

Advertisements and announcements from the sign trade.

SHOP TALK

Ashley Bray speaks with author Elizabeth Gould about the ways shop owners can support employees in the post-pandemic.

22 FEATURES

22 26 29

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ON THE MAP

By Jeff Wooten Mapping out plans for Penn Station’s new spandrel graphics.

SURVIVING THE PERFECT STORM

By Kelly David Material and labor shortages continue to challenge businesses.

THE COOLEST DESIGNS

By Jeff Wooten The art of producing graphics for vehicles, snowmobiles, and hockey arenas.

MANUFACTURING JOBS

By Emily Eckart The manufacturing industry attempts to recover post-pandemic.

August 2021

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August 2021, Vol. 35, No. 313 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 Kelly David, Emily Eckart, David Hickey, Eric Lazar

ART

Art Director Nicole D’Antona Graphic Designer Hillary Coleman

PRODUCTION

Corporate Production Director Mary Conyers

CIRCULATION

Circulation Director Maureen Cooney signbuilder@omeda.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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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.

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 happening at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York City, New York. (lightfair.com)

Did You Hear the One About...?

How-to articles can go behind-the-scenes too.

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August 2021

yourself in any of these scenarios?

It’s not fair to really call these “blind items” because they happen to be the subjects of just some of the stories you’ll find in this month’s issue of Sign Builder Illustrated. And yes, there are names attached to many of these results.

Our publication is proudly labeled as the “how-to” magazine of the industry—especially when it comes to design, fabrication, and/or installation. But what about mental improvement? Or workflow logistics? Or employee management?

There can sometimes be a tendency to push those aside in favor of the more visually powerful processes, yet honestly, they’re just as equally important.

To keep up to date with more stories like these, you may want to consider subscribing to SBI Operations. This is our brandnew monthly newsletter that’s devoted to offering management tools needed for sign shop owners and employees—including wellness, hiring and retaining workers, personal improvement, and business methodologies. Its subscription link is on our Web site at https://bit.ly/3wKTZe5.

So while ethics will probably deep-six a Page Six column in our pages, we think this month’s not-so-blind items are going to be a lot more interesting to you.

JEFF WOOTEN Editor, jwooten@sbpub.com

NOVEMBER 2021 NOVEMBER 4-6:

Reconnect, Rethink, and Recharge, in-person, at the 2021 SEGD Conference Experience Philadelphia. This gathering is the only conference specifically created for the experiential design community. The three-day event will focus on inspiration and education, with a combination of hands-on workshops, design tours, summits, networking socials, thought leadership sessions, and the NEXPO show floor. (segd.org)

MARCH 2022 MARCH 21-23:

Photo: Shutterstock/Vlad Teodor.

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here has long been an in-joke amongst editorial over just how popular a Page Six-style column would prove at our magazine— you know, those blind items concerning gossip passed along at tradeshows or outrageous incidents you hear taking place in sign shops. For examples: Did you hear the one about the sign shop employee who had been sporting a “what is my life all about anyway” attitude, seemed to develop a lack of focus, struggled with production ever since the pandemic started, and then, one day, offered a “surprise resignation” on the spot without any warning whatsoever?

Did you hear the one about the sign studio owner who was so crippled by doubt and anxiety during the initial stages of the pandemic that he had to join the “platoon of printers” in targeting new products to offer and employ some traditional and not-so-traditional techniques to get back in the game here in the hopefully latter stages of the pandemic?

Or did you hear the one about the shop that was worried about supply chain disruption? Or the company stressing about being able to finish a voluminous amount of projects on-time and on-budget? Or the entrepreneur being able to find the right employees with the right amount of experience for their store? Or the employer who instituted a “walking club” that rewarded their employees who walked a mile during lunch?

More importantly, do you recognize

Digital Signage Expo, presented

by Questex, is back and is bringing Digital Signage and DigitalOut-Of-Home Buyers and Sellers to the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

This returning event will be taking place concurrently with the Bar & Restaurant Expo. (questex.com)

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ChannelBender® Series Automated Channel Letter Solutions

The equipment of choice for nearly every major sign manufacturer in America. sign.sdsautomation.com 303-710-8125

IN THE INDUSTRY

WELLNESS IN THE SIGN SHOP SURVEY: THE RESULTS ARE IN!

N

ew York City, New York— This past spring, Sign Builder Illustrated sent out a survey to the industry about wellness in the sign shop.

Running a business has never been easy, but it’s become harder than ever thanks to COVID-19 regulations, hiring struggles, supply chain disruptions, shorter and shorter deadlines, and more challenges.

We wanted to know how sign shop employees were faring amidst all of the changes, upheaval, and stress. Almost 120 sign industry professionals weighed in and gave us feedback on their top stressors, how they’re staying well, and the ways in which their businesses are supporting them.

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The Good News We started the survey off by asking how important physical and mental wellness is to each respondent’s sign shop.

An overwhelming 83.76 percent of respondents said wellness is “very important” to their shop, while 13.68 percent said it is “somewhat important.”

Only 2.56 percent of respondents said wellness is “not at all important” to their sign shops.

This means over 97 percent of respondents work at a shop where wellness is a priority. These numbers are encouraging, and they also reflect a national trend over the last few years toward an increased focus on employee wellness—both physical and mental.

Backing Up the Claims Employers may be claiming wellness is important to them, but what are they actually doing about it?

We asked this question in our survey, and the top response was implementing a flexible schedule (68.38 percent).

Speaking of schedules, we also asked respondents if they were satisfied with the number of hours they work a week, and 60.68 percent said they were satisfied. Meanwhile 35.04 percent said they felt they worked too many hours a week.

Other ways employers are supporting wellness in the workplace is through an open door policy with signshop.com

LED SIGN AWARDS OPEN

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management (66.67 percent) and access to wellness resources for employees (31.62 percent).

Some respondents shared specific ways their employers were helping them to stay physically and mentally fit, including walking clubs, onsite gyms, free breakfast/lunch, and the implementation of robust COVID-19 prevention tactics such as partitions and increased cleaning protocols.

Top Stressors One of the major hurdles to wellness is stress, and there has been plenty of it lately.

According to our survey participants, the top three causes of stress signshop.com

in their shop were deadlines (33 percent), finding/retaining workers (20 percent), and supply chain disruption (19.13 percent).

Some survey participants responded with specific stressors that weren’t on our list, such as COVID-19, client attitudes, workflow issues, and abusive and unprofessional management.

—Ashley Bray

ANVILLE, ILLINOIS— Watchfire Signs is seeking submissions for its seventh annual LED Sign Awards program, which honors the best use of onpremise digital signage.

This year’s grand prize winner will receive a $1,000 award and will have their winning display featured on the cover of Watchfire’s 2022 Dealer Resource Guide.

The 2021 Watchfire LED Sign Awards are open to any sign company that has incorporated a Watchfire display into an onp r e m i s e s i g n a g e p a c ka g e .

Watchfire will be looking for creative ways that sign dealers and customers use the digital component of displays to reach marketing goals.

“Sign companies across North America design and build fantastic signs that effectively incorporate our LED displays to communicate, educate, and inspire their target audiences,” said David Warns, vice president for onpremise sales at Watchfire. “Each year, the competition gets more and more intense.”

The awards are open to any sign company in the U.S and Canada for Watchfire displays installed between September 16, 2020 and September 15, 2021.

The deadline for submissions is midnight, September 15, 2021. To enter, visit watchfiresigns.com/ signawards.

For more information on wellness and business management, sign up for our free monthly e-newsletter, SBI Operations, at https://bit.ly/3wKTZe5. The newsletter offers wellness tips, business management tools, hiring advice, and more to help you and your business stay well.

August 2021

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SIGN SHOW DIGITAL PRINTING EQUIPMENT/SUPPLIES

LIGHTING FIXTURES

Roland DGA Introduces New Orange and Red ECO-UV INK Options

Keystone Brings Mobile Product Experience Straight to Customers

Roland DGA Corporation has added new Orange and Red inks to its family of specially formulated, GREENGUARD Gold-certified ECO-UV 5 (EUV5) inks available for the company’s advanced VersaUV® LEC2 series roll-to-roll UV printer/cutters. The new Orange and Red options widen the EUV5 color gamut significantly, enabling LEC2-640 and LEC2-330 users to target previously unreachable colors (as shown on the pictured wine bottle and box graphics). Fastdrying, durable EUV5 inks deliver unsurpassed image quality, vibrant color, and exceptional detail. They are also uniquely designed to adhere to a wide range of coated and uncoated media, including foils, paper, clear film, and vinyl.

In addition to the new Orange and Red options, EUV5 inks are available in CMYK, Gloss, White, and Primer. Together with Roland DG’s new True Rich Color II print setting, these inks produce stunning graphics, with neutral grays, smooth gradations, and natural skin tones. The on-board Primer allows for even better adhesion, while the Gloss ink makes it easy for users to incorporate unique textural and dimensional effects into their prints. rolanddga.com

When travel and tradeshows shut down in 2020, Keystone Technologies, a leader in qualitydriven lighting solutions, didn’t wait around for things to start up again. In addition to a showroom in its Pennsylvania headquarters, called Keystone Live!, the company created its own rolling tradeshow by customizing a trailer with fully functional products and taking the mobile unit directly to customers, called Keystone Live! On Tour. A year later, On Tour is allowing customers to see, touch, and feel Keystone’s latest products as well as meet with Keystone representatives ready to demonstrate Keystone’s latest innovations.

Keystone Live! On Tour is putting on events from Minnesota to Texas, California to Florida, and pretty much everywhere in between. The heart of Keystone Live! On Tour consists of four extensive mobile showrooms, which all feature a broad scope of Keystone’s commercial, industrial, and residential product lines including lamps, fixtures, power supplies, and controls. keystonetech.com

ROUTERS/ENGRAVERS Trotec Presents the Latest in Dynamic 3D Galvo Laser Marking Trotec Laser Inc., has announced a unique release of its industry-leading SpeedMark laser marking software that provides the most efficient dynamic 3D laser marking process available today. The release of SpeedMark 4.2 laser marking software enables high-speed, distortion-free marking of round, cylindrical, and 3D objects such as metal tumblers, travel mugs, and water bottles, offering maximum efficiency laser marking. The new capabilities boost efficiency by allowing you to mark multiple objects in the workstation in a single run and reduce costs by eliminating the need to purchase additional rotary equipment. The new software release employs the Speedmarker DS (dynamic shifter) to produce high-quality laser marking for 3D objects. This allows you to quickly and easily laser mark tilted planes, balls, bowls, cylinders, and tubes, even if the shape contains different diameters. This can also be carried out on multiple objects in a single run, resulting in maximum productivity. This new SpeedMark system reduces costs by providing a highly efficient workflow that allows operators to simply position applications in cost-efficient jigs and yield the highest production throughput in the shortest time frame possible. troteclaser.com

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OPEN THE DOOR TO NEW MARKETS TX300P-1800 MkII

Finally, a printer with the versatility you need to meet today’s constantly changing demands. Print high-quality fashion or everyday banners with Mimaki's hybrid textile printer, TX300P-1800 MkII.

SIGN SHOW DIGITAL PRINTING EQUIPMENT/SUPPLIES Epson Debuts Production-class Line of SureColor T-Series Wide Format Printers Six new production-class SureColor® T-Series 24-, 36- and 44-inch wide format printer models featuring an innovative, compact design are slated to launch from Epson later this year with the SureColor T7770D 44-inch dual roll printer available first. These all-new SureColor T Series models are manufactured for CAD and graphics applications and include Epson’s latest 2.64-inch PrecisionCore® printhead, which provides outstanding image quality while enabling higher-speed performance than previous generation units. The new, compact industrial design provides a small footprint for space-constrained production environments. The latest models also incorporate a number of new features that improve usability and streamline workflow and media handling, including Adobe® Embedded Print Engine standard on most models, dual-roll capability, a built-in take-up reel (for roll-to-roll printing), complete front operation, easy automatic roll loading, and optional, foldable production stackers. The new line delivers a range of features designed to revolutionize business productivity, including advanced performance, six vibrant color inks (including a new Red ink), and a compact design for small spaces. Operators can remotely manage and monitor entire printer fleets cost-effectively with a convenient dashboard on laptops or smart devices (including square foot counters, printer status, and equipment utilization). These new SureColor printers require no assembly and can be up and printing in as little as thirty minutes. The SureColor T7770D 44-inch dual roll model and the optional 44-inch production stacker will be available at the beginning of Q4 this year. epson.com/TSeriesProduction

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August 2021

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SIGN SHOW ONLINE RESOURCES SAi Revolutionizes Training and Technical Support in the Sign Industry with Its New Business Software provider SAi has launched Adendo.com, a new business that combines crowd-sourcing with the latest video conferencing and e-commerce technologies and, in the process, offers a new type of expert marketplace. The marketplace system is simple. Professionals from the sign and print industry with expertise in applications, software, or hardware sign up to be an Adendo Advisor. People in need of training, advice, or in-depth technical support can find and hire an Advisor on the Adendo.com web site. Advisors set their own fees on a per minute basis; sessions are timed so that clients pay only for the time they use. The Adendo.com platform handles scheduling, video conferencing, and billing. Clients can leave reviews and also participate in webinars. In addition to one-on-one training, Adendo now offers prescheduled online training classes, called vClass, conducted by leading industry experts on a wide variety of topics. Adendo’s vClasses are held on Zoom and are limited in the number of attendees. Participants can learn to master the most common software programs, hardware, and special applications that will help them expand their business, save time and money, and increase productivity. Adendo.com founder and Managing Director Mark Stevens explained, “Whether you’re a newbie in need of basic training, a seasoned pro looking to learn some new skills, or someone who needs in-depth technical support, there’s an Adendo Advisor who can help you. Color management, woodwork and metalwork, multiple equipment workflow, old equipment or new, the latest software—even how to increase the profits of your shop—Adendo.com has it covered.” thinksai.com

High quality standoffs at an unbeatable price! It’s easy to see why sign makers and installers everywhere use Simply Standoffs from Gyford for a wide range of projects and budgets.

Choose quality. Choose craftsmanship. CHOOSE GYFORD. To see the entire Simply Standoff line, visit standoffsystems.com. standoffsystems.com • 775.829.7272

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HOW TO HDU HDU || BY

BY JEFF JEFF WOOTEN WOOTEN

Security with HDU

I

t’s no secret that many sign makers today enjoy working with highdensity urethane (HDU) materials when it comes time to bring customers’ dimensional designs to life.

But sometimes, secrecy can be the name of the game—particularly when the client happens to be the National Security Agency (NSA). The NSA is the body of the United States Department of Defense that, together with the CIA and the FBI, conducts national security operations.

This article will open up the dossier and further survey how Veteran Wood Company of Morris County, New Jersey recently used their signmaking expertise to fabricate highly detailed plaques of the NSA’s logos out of DUNA-USA’s fifteen-pounddensity CORAFOAM® U150 material.

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These plaques ended up being part of a decorative wall at NSA’s headquarters in Fort Meade, Maryland that has been designed to represent the organization’s mission in cyberspace.

But first let’s provide you with a little intel about Veteran Wood Company (veteranwoodco.com). This sign company is a Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business that was started up by Owner Mike Legregni in 2019. Legregni’s transition into the world of sign making came after several years of service in the U.S. Marine Corps as well as ten years as a New Jersey police officer.

Legregni works on his own in his one-man shop specializing in detailed custom 3D signs and wooden décor for both commercial and residential clients.

In the beginning of his sign-making adventures at Veteran Wood Company,

Legregni used only an X-Carve CNC machine. Eventually Legregni turned to a good friend of his at wood supplier and manufacturer Boards and Beams in Fairfield, New Jersey to help him learn basic and complex tool paths.

Before long, Legregni updated to a STEPCRAFT 48-by-96-inch CNC router and dove in 100 percent to fulltime sign making.

This particular NSA project fell into Veteran Wood Company’s grasp when the initial sign maker the organization hired to do the CNC routing work had to back out close to the deadline. Agreeing to take on the job after hearing about this plight, Legregni had about a five-week window to create three large discs that represent the complex insignias of the National Security Agency (an American eagle, a flag shield, and a key), signshop.com

All Photos: Veteran Wood Company.

Combining HDU with the NSA for use in a living wall.

HOW TO HDU | BY JEFF WOOTEN

Owner Mike Legregni employed a unique paint solution to achieve the warm bronze tone.

A close-up view of the CNC milling process used on the CORAFOAM U150 HDU.

The three pre-painted circular pieces produced by Veteran Wood Company.

the Central Security Agency (the logos of all five Service Cryptologic Components balanced around a five-point star centered around the NSA symbol) and the U.S. Cyber Command (an American eagle, a shield, stars, and a globe).

The clock was ticking to make this project Mission: Possible!

Legregni designed the signs using Vectric CNC software. “Each logo was sent to me as a three-layer Photoshop file,” says Legregni. “I encountered at least eight to ten hours of CAD time on each 14

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logo and getting the tool paths right.”

It took around three hours for Legregni to mill each circular plaque out of CORAFOAM U150 using his STEPCRAFT Q408 CNC machine.

He also used his CNC machine to carve the two separate eagles and attached them to the discs using Gorilla Glue® construction adhesive.

In general, HDU is Legregni’s favorite substrate to paint by far, and rarely does he use anything else unless the customer specifies wanting a natural

wood grain or a natural finish.

Legregni says that NSA officials informed him that the plaques he was providing had to be a certain PANTONE® color.

Initially Legregni had trouble finding a good color match. “I looked at faux metals and all different types of paints,” he says. “I eventually found a Rust-Oleum warm bronze tone that was very close and showed it to them. They agreed it was close to what they wanted.”

Legregni took the pieces outside to signshop.com

HOW TO

HDU | BY JEFF WOOTEN

spray-paint them underneath his popup tent. Each sign was primed using an all-purpose primer.

However the paint was not applied in the typical fashion.

Legregni knew that he didn’t want to go through the paint spraying process and have either the tips clog up or experience bad aerosol odor everywhere.

He also wasn’t a fan of how spray paint dispenses or how it looks after application, so he opted for an outside-the-box approach instead.

With this in mind, Legregni ended up puncturing each can and emptying them into his HVLP gun. He then proceeded to spray the pieces like he would a normal paint.

“I figured I could just puncture the can and let everything drain into my gun,” explains Legregni. “I used a 1-mil tip, and it worked out really nicely. Each

piece was dry within a couple of hours.”

The carved CORAFOAM insignia plaques were just one part of this project.

Once finished, Veteran Wood Company dropped the plaques off at the Hoboken, New Jersey facility of the vendor that was creating a 15-foot-tall-by30-foot-long wall designed to represent a large electronic circuit (representing the NSA’s mission in cyberspace). The CORAFOAM plaques would be combined with faux-circuitry panels handmade out of expanded PVC. Even more exciting is that this finished wall is actually alive! NSA wanted to use it to bridge the gap between design and sustainability, so the other vendor made the background entirely with natural moss.

“The wall is populated between the panels with live air moss imported from Turkey,” says Legregni. “It won’t ever die

as long as it’s in an air environment; however it won’t ever grow either.”

Onsite technicians installed everything at NSA’s headquarters.

“The moss was already in place, and the circuitry panels were glued to them,” says Legregni. “Then the contractors came in and hung the circular logos into place.”

Note: Portions of the article appeared in a previously written case study.

MIKE LEGREGNI has developed a significant following on Instagram (@veteranwoodco) and also hosts a free Webinar every other week on Zoom in collaboration with Vectric’s “Introduction to Vectric.”

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August 2021

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HOW TO REGULATIONS | BY DAVID HICKEY

Traffic Control Changes

H

ear the title “Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices,” and chances are good that the eyes might glaze over.

But don’t be too quick to dismiss this relatively unknown regulation impacting the sign industry because it provides an excellent case study in how federal regulations are developed and highlights the importance of the International Sign Association (ISA) being at the table for all industry codes and standards.

The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) defines standards used by road managers for streets, highways, bike paths, and private roads. It can range from a stop sign design to technical specifications for wayfinding devices.

When it came time to update the MUTCD, which hadn’t been touched since a 2009 edition, ISA was one of the

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first ones at the table as part of a coalition of graphic designers and fabricators.

Working with this Community Wayfinding Professional Group, eleven amendment provision edits and four additions were proposed.

At press time, the Federal Highway Administration (FWHA), which produces the manual, was still reviewing recommendations for the updated MUTCD. However ISA’s work provides a road map for how we can build broad consensus to protect our industry and the importance of being involved in the development of these regulations, which may seem to only touch our industry.

Here are a few of the lessons that are being learned.

Playing the Long Game The existing MUTCD is twelve years

old, though FHWA says it intends to issue updates every five years.

Regardless any challenging law might be one that we have to live with for a good while. Not all code cycles are quite as long, and they can vary considerably (depending on the governing body).

No matter the frequency, it is important to be involved consistently with code-making bodies to ensure that the industry is aware and can influence any proposed changes.

One Bad Rule Can Extend Far The MUTCD is adopted in some fashion in all fifty states, with some adopting it as is and others modifying it in a manner unique to that state.

As a result, it is important to advocate as early as possible, lest one bad rule spread far and wide. signshop.com

Photo: Shutterstock.com/Artiom Photo.

Heeding changes to roadway signage.

Regulator’s Interpretations Require Education As a member of the Community Wayfinding Professional Group coalition, the International Sign Association has been actively proposing language to prevent inspectors from being overly aggressive in interpreting the rules.

Based on past examples of questionable interpretations, for example, ISA is seeking to clarify that illustrations are merely guides, not intended to dictate or restrict the design of signs.

If you believe that regulations are not being interpreted correctly, please let us know as soon as possible. Because of the varying length of code cycle development, it will take time—and understanding of the unique code in question—to insert the industry’s influence.

These Codes Can Easily Morph The International Sign Association and the Community Wayfinding coalition believe there are challenges with how wayfinding programs were treated in the 2009 edition.

For instance, the proposed 2021 changes would prohibit wayfinding signs at exit ramps where we believe they are often needed.

MISPLACED YOUR FAVORITE ISSUE?

We can help.

Back issues are available.

CALL FOR AVAILABILITY: 1-402-346-474 fb.com/SBIMag

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Science Can Help Win the Argument The International Sign Association has shared a great deal of data and research with MUTCD, such as important studies from the Sign Research Foundation (SRF) on legibility, sign fonts, sizes, and the style of directional arrows.

The valuable data and research produced by SRF has been instrumental in helping sign companies defend against regulations that could limit signage’s impact on communities and local businesses. This research, combined with ISA’s expertise, often proves a winning argument in these cases.

The International Sign Association, in partnership with the coalition, hopes to stave off challenging rules that could limit the effectiveness of signs.

We would love to hear of any challenges you are having with local, state, and federal codes and regulations. You can contact me at david.hickey@signs.org.

David Hickey is the vice president of Government Affairs at the International Sign Association.

August 2021

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HOW TO

MANAGEMENT | BY ERIC LAZAR

The COVID War A veteran printer’s tale of addressing pandemic stress.

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Photo: Shutterstock.com/Getmilitaryphotos.

“

eep breath...deep breath... deep breath.”

Those are the words most of us have been whispering to ourselves each day since the beginning of the pandemic, as our hearts seemingly beat with enough brute impact to fracture a rib.

Only when I could muster the energy and air did I manage to scream expletive-laced tirades of frustration, and there were far more nights where a good drunken stupor rendered me unable to mutter anything at all—two unadmirable qualities I became exceptionally adept at during my eight years in the U.S. Marine Corps.

The trials and tribulations of the past twenty months have had nearly every business owner gasping with desperate anxiety and even debilitating

signshop.com

fear. Unfortunately, for most of us, the legacy of the pandemic was nothing less than a sheer bloodbath, leaving a wake of printers suffering from posttraumatic stress; that’s not said either lightly or figuratively.

The famous adage, “there are no atheists in a foxhole,” often came to mind once stay-at-home decrees became the standing order and revenue vaporized in a mushroom cloud. If printing business ownership during the pandemic isn’t the entrepreneur’s equivalent of combat, it’s hard to imagine what else prompted me to start praying so voraciously.

As the furious explosions of mask mandates, business closings, infectious rates, and death toll numbers rained down like molten shrapnel, I found myself cowering on the couch, clutching bottles of whiskey as the virus marched

through like silent thunder.

Once I mustered the courage to pop my head over the proverbial berm and assess the initial damage, I shook my head to wave off the shellshock, knowing it was damn time to get back in the fight, lest die at the altar of bankruptcy.

Surveying the Landscape With the warrior spirit revived, my studio joined platoons of printers rushing ahead, hunting down new products to bring to market, and attacking needs we never thought would exist (social distancing floor decals, acrylic divider panels, and graduation lawn signs).

For some, it was a series of glorious victories; but for many others, like us, it simply gave us just a small pouch of small-arms ammunition to be able to battle for another day.

August 2021

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HOW TO MANAGEMENT | BY ERIC LAZAR

As we closely observed the marketplace for brilliant strategies that might turn our business and saw some of our fiercest competitors now became “frenemies,” if not allies, conversations sprouted as we were truly all in this together.

After countless months mired in a painfully slow slog, we now begin to emerge from the trenches, in what we hope is the decisive conclusion to the COVID War. As we conduct the battle damage assessment, I’m now discussing the aftermath and raw scars left on the printing industry with my printing colleagues, planning for our rebuilding and healing phase.

Speaking with fellow printers, three themes have emerged as the transition starts from reduced work hours and physical isolation—a pandemic of pro-

es, such as formal production meetings, is a good place to start.

When business went on the respirator, it seemed commonplace that workorders were just handed off without much discussion; those tried-and-true processes to make certain the entire team understood the mission were dismissed for less stringent protocols.

In order to get the team dialed-in, it may be worth considering increasing production huddles to two or three shorter ones a day. Since we’ve implemented that drill, there’s actually been a marked decline in pre-press and production gaffes.

In the Marines, we referred to such briefings with the acronym S.M.E.A.C. (Situation, Mission, Execution, Administration/Logistics, and Communications). This can be adopted for the private sector, but in short, it provides a

ity at all levels, is utilizing Objectives and Key results (OKRs). According to Felipe Castro (https://bit.ly/3w4rVC0), this concept started at Intel and swept not only big tech but also retail, media, and financial services—implemented at Twitter, LinkedIn, Wal-Mart, Target, Dun & Bradstreet, ING Bank, and, most famously, Google.

This planning method is just as easily implemented with a small business, as it is for a large multi-national organization. While there are software dashboards and formal training to be purchased, it can be quickly self-taught through online articles and YouTube videos with nothing more than simple PowerPoint slides to document and track progress.

In essence, OKR structures each player’s goals to the overall company mission and across all disciplines from

WITH THE WARRIOR SPIRIT REVIVED, [WE] JOINED PLATOONS OF PRINTERS RUSHING AHEAD, HUNTING DOWN NEW PRODUCTS TO BRING TO MARKET, AND ATTACKING NEEDS WE NEVER THOUGHT WOULD EXIST. duction errors, the degradation of process, and client relationship anemia.

Readying Your Squad Since March 2020, many print shops have been barely idling, squeezed with staffing cuts and fraught by the lack of projects. We’re now leading a team that’s low on energy and out of practice.

As a Marine veteran, I think of this situation as a peace-time military now called to respond to a crisis—a corps that, after several years without conflict, underwent a reduction of force and, with changes in agenda, neglected to invest in training. Readying your squad to get back out on the field and fight with the intensity, purpose, and precision they once did will require leadership and discipline.

Reinstating pre-pandemic practic20

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clear, concise template for aligning the team around the tasks at hand.

Furthermore a dual sign-off qualityassurance process provides an extra level of precaution, as the velocity of the business is now exceeding the pace of the team’s acuity to detail following the long slumber.

Strategic Objectives This is also an opportune time for introducing new methods; consider the post-COVID era as a chance for organizational rebirth.

Undoubtedly the pandemic required you to rethink, iterate, and innovate to survive. But have you formalized these changes and done so in a way that the entire team understands and owns?

One of the best methodologies for clearly delineating strategic objectives, but moreover establishing accountabil-

support, marketing, sales, production, and leadership—individual responsibilities are clearly defined, scored, and peer reviewed, and everyone is accountable to each other (regardless of title).

Re-establishing Contact Ironically another nugget that surprised me was the lack of contact owners and salespeople had with their clients throughout the duration of the pandemic, despite being desperate to engage with people other than a spouse or child.

It’s safe to say that most folks burned out on Zoom within just a couple of months. For most regions of the U.S., without the ability to make face-to-face calls, many got complacent, and the strengths of those previously strong relationships certainly waned.

Don’t let any more time pass. This is the ideal time to reach out, let them signshop.com

HOW TO

MANAGEMENT | BY ERIC LAZAR

know you’re still here, and see how they managed through the difficult period both personally and professionally.

Remember it’s possible they may have lost their job; so if there’s no reply from a work email, find them on Facebook or LinkedIn to simply say “hello.” At some point, those folks may resurface in a buying capacity at another company with printing needs; demonstrating a personal concern for their well-being will be cherished.

Keep your base and alliances strong.

Instituting a self-imposed requirement for you, as a print shop owner or leader, to make at least five outreaches a day to your client base will help get the business reinvigorated.

Coming Together Lastly the agonies of the pandemic, coupled with the horrid political dis-

course, clearly demonstrated how divided, yet inter-dependent, we are upon one another—both internally within our own printing organization and externally at the client level or broader community.

While printing companies won’t cure the nation’s ills, we can assume a vital role as good corporate citizens and facilitate the healing.

Wrapping your business with apolitical and non-divisive causes or not-forprofits (through donations, discounts and volunteerism) reinforces your company’s sense of purpose and your team’s collective mission whilst making a tangible difference in your respective neighborhood.

Not only will this mindset demonstrate your corporate character, but it can also open additional channels of revenue and provide positive content

for social marketing.

The transition is now—it’s happening swiftly and is hopefully lasting.

There are course corrections that need to be made as well as revenue targets that must be achieved.

The fog of the COVID War still has many of us staggering. However if you can grab your bootstraps and regroup with a few of these tactics, I think you’ll be well positioned to take aim at renewed success.

Eric Lazar is an owner and partner of SpeedPro Chicago Loop (speedpro.com/ chicago-loop), a large format printing company in downtown Chicago. His COVID-19 practices were featured in our May 2020 issue (“Essential Turnaround”). Lazar is a former Sergeant and United States Marine Corps veteran, who served as an intelligence analyst from 1986 to 1994.

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FEATURE NAME GRAPHICS

BY JEFF AUTHOR WOOTEN

ON THE MAP T

o provide commuters and passengers with better access to the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) Main Concourse and New York City Transit subways, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Construction and Development Company (MTA C&D) put together the recent design and build of the East End Gateway entrance at New York City’s Penn Station.

This towering glass and steel, A-

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frame canopy, located at 7th Avenue and 33rd Street, is an architecturally impressive achievement that now provides the LIRR Concourse with a “true entrance,” as multitudes of daily visitors now traverse its three state-of-theart escalators and a stairwell.

The underside of the glass and steel canopy forms a compound curved shape, known as a “spandrel,” and the East End Gateway’s spandrel is composed of sixty

individual steel panels of varying sizes.

However MTA C&D officials also wanted to find a way to incorporate an additional immersive, dramatic effect for this particular spandrel.

Their solution was to commission a spectacular, 1,988-square-foot map of metropolitan New York made up of sixty-five printed sections covering the East End Gateway spandrel that would enhance the experience as well as fursignshop.com

All Photos: Creative Source, Inc.

Mapping out plans for Penn Station’s new spandrel graphics.

A map of the greater New York metropolitan area was chosen for the spandrel graphic because of its aesthetic composition and inclusiveness of its ridership.

ther brand the entrance. This massive interior graphic features detailed geographic information from West Point, down the Hudson River to Staten Island, and out to the Robert Moses Causeway on Long Island.

“When riding the escalator, there is the sensation of traveling through the interior of a three-dimensional painting, several stories high,” says Carol Smith, president and creative direcsignshop.com

tor of Creative Source, Inc., one of the companies involved in the design and installation of this experiential, transformative graphic illustration. (Note: See sidebox on page 24 for all the companies that worked on this project).

Located in the heart of Manhattan, Creative Source, Inc., is a Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) multidisciplined design firm that has been around for thirty-five years. Their wide roster of clients includes Fortune 500 corporations, government agencies, and non-profit organizations.

“We design thoughtful, intelligent brand identities that are consistently articulated to support a brand—from its strategy, name, and logo throughout all marketing communications, including digital, PR, and social media,” says Smith. “Our success lies in our ability to create visual shorthand to convey a brand’s essence and then make sure [that] its unique personality is unswervingly articulated.”

Creative Source has enjoyed a longstanding relationship with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). In fact, the company designed the iconic gold-and-blue MetroCard for the organization twenty-two years ago.

Global engineering consulting firm WSP USA was the prime consultant and program manager for this spandrel graphic project, and they brought Creative Source onboard as a sub for it. As part of the team, WSP also retained the implementation team from Duggal Visual Solutions for the client, MTA C&D. This team fostered a close collaboration from conceptual design through the completion of construction. Skanska USA, under the developer of the project (Vornado Realty Trust), implemented the construction utilizing Duggal as their sub. “Fortunately we’re accustomed to working on an integrated design team with multiple players,” says Smith.

Design + Build Creative Source designers knew that they were going to need to come up with a dramatic design experience on the East End Gateway spandrel that would benefit the enormous size of the entrance. This funnel-like shape of the

spandrel surrounds the 72-1/2-footlong escalators (with a vertical rise of 29-1/2-feet) and stairway, between the shoulders of adjoining arches and the ceiling above.

“Above the spandrel is a ‘bright and welcoming’ glass and steel canopy,” says Smith, noting that this architectural motif not only introduces natural light into the station environment but also offers a prime view of the iconic Empire State Building.

The company drew up two design choices at the project’s onset. The first featured a map of Manhattan and the five boroughs, while the other displayed the greater metropolitan area. The MTA C&D selected this latter design because of its aesthetic composition and its inclusivity for most of Penn Station’s ridership.

To create the selected map design, Creative Source based it off a satellite view of the greater New York City Metropolitan area. They also used portions of the surrounding suburbs of Long Island and Westchester extending around the sides and encompassing a portion of the LIRR ridership communities.

The design had to accommodate the double compound curve of the Spandrel’s surface to include as much of the region as possible without distorting the image. Mena Henry from the Duggal team (Proptogroup) explains, “A map is defined as a ‘diagrammatic representation of the earth’s surface.’

The keyword is ‘representation’, since the earth is round, and maps are flat.

“This has always been the ultimate challenge for mapmakers around the world, because any 2D representation of the earth’s spherical surface is inevitably a distortion—an imperfect attempt to flatten the three-dimensional world we live in.”

The design team went through several different iterations of how “zoomed in” or “zoomed out” the scale of the map should be. “All the moving pieces had to constantly be balanced and readjusted to ensure the integrity of the finished product, as any changes to the scale or the complex lighting design had cascading impacts to the color palette,” says Anthony Delimitros of SPA International, August 2021

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Meet the Teams The East End Gateway spandrel graphic installation was the result of collaboration amongst many consultants. The teams involved with this project included: • Metropolitan Transportation Authority Construction and Development (MTA C&D)— the client; • WSP USA—the program manager and prime consultant leading the effort; and their subs: • Creative Source, Inc. (and their sub SPA International, PC); • Duggal Visual Solutions (and their subs Proptogroup & Milgo Bufkin); and • Calladium Group.

“We would also like to thank those companies who contributed from the designbuild team led by Skanska USA and the spandrel fabricator Seele, Inc., and design team members AECOM, Skidmore, Owings & Merill LLP, and Horton Lees Brogden (HLB) Lighting Design,” says Carol Smith, president and creative director of Creative Source, Inc.

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a company that also shares office space with Creative Sources, Inc. Creative Source developed dozens of blue palette variations designed to ensure the piece would “pop” and provide passengers with a “wow” factor as they enter or exit.

The Creative Source team was already facing a tight schedule to finish this project on time and on budget, but throw the COVID-19 pandemic into the mix, and they faced unique challenges related to scheduling and “mapping out” logistics. Not only were rigorous protocols and safety measures implemented to protect their team, but social distancing and travel restrictions added even more difficult hurdles to the requisite on-site planning process.

“Despite the inability to meet the team in person, we remained on schedule,” says Smith. “The team held regular virtual meetings. We had to be creative with our use of photography and software to show how various iterations of the design might look from different distances and under changing lighting scenarios.”

“The gigantic size of the graphic file required us to utilize a super computer, in order to handle the amount of detail needed,” says Delimitros.

Even with all the tight COVID protocols in place, the different teams involved in this project were still able to fabricate and install a physical mock-up of the design that Creative Source came up with for viewing at Duggal’s Brooklyn, New York facility.

Creative Source designers ended up mapping the tri-state area onto a flat plane with design and fabrication stu-

dio Proptogroup remapping that representation onto a doubly curved parabolic surface using UV mapping.

“When the UV mapping system is successfully projected on a 3D surface using 3D modeling software, it allows for the manipulation of the final visual field while maintaining parametric relations,” says Henry. “This means that the spatial relationships between Penn Station and the Brooklyn Bridge and Coney Island, for example, are all preserved.”

Duggal Visual Solutions has tremendous experience fabricating and installing large-scale graphics, and they explored and tested several different methods for fabrication. Each varied in terms of cost, durability, ease of installation, feasibility for curved surfaces, and the ability to show visual detail.

WSP USA, SPA International, and Creative Source researched several methods including the use of special paint with custom stencils, dye-sublimation printing onto metal sheets, and printing onto film.

“Every detail was vetted and discussed with the team—including the size, shape, color, and position of the fasteners to make them as invisible as possible,” says Smith. “The goal was to create an iconic graphic that is cost effective and durable without compromising the visual integrity of the design.”

The East End Gateway spandrel at Penn Station is composed of sixty individual steel panels of varying sizes. The map graphics were printed onto 3M Envision™ Wrap Film LX480mC because of its durability, while a matte laminate adds extra UV protection to them. signshop.com

“Special care was taken during printing and production to match the colors on each panel exactly,” says Smith.

“Installation was carefully executed by matching the position of the graphics precisely on each panel.”

The teams involved also had to take into account the sheer volume of commuter traffic passing through Penn Station. On a typical pre-pandemic day, this equates to 650,000 passengers.

“Using an innovative design-build approach, construction was completed without train service disruption and minimal impact to the overall passenger experience,” confirms Smith.

Experiencing the Reaction The end-result has been awe-inspiring, taking this ceiling to another level.

Smith notes that its colors and graphic style create a powerful, modern design aesthetic at the 33rd Street entrance. “For visitors just arriving at Penn Station, the map serves to wel-

The spandrel map graphic features geographic information from West Point, down the Hudson River to Staten Island, and out to the Robert Moses Causeway on Long Island.

come them to New York as they ascend up into the city via the new entrance,” she says. “For departing passengers, it depicts the greater region and popular commuter destinations.”

This East End Gateway project also

served as a beacon to the New York spirit as well, as it was also dedicated during a ceremony last December to the essential workers who depended on the region’s mass transit system and those who kept it moving.

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FEATURE NAME INVENTORY

BY KELLY AUTHOR DAVID

From basic raw materials to vinyl availability, discussions with suppliers are happening weekly and sometimes daily to keep track of availability.

SURVIVING THE PERFECT STORM

I

t is no secret most industries continue to be impacted by material and labor shortages due to the COVID pandemic. The main driver behind these shortages was the immediate conserving of cash flow when the pandemic caused unprecedented economic challenges.

The perfect storm continued with the right-sizing of operations and depletion of material inventories to support cash flow. The result was not being positioned 26

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to meet the sudden increase in demand as the market shifted. Other contributing factors included inclement weather, hiring challenges, and transportation.

This has resulted in the industry needing to address these challenges and change the way we recruit and forecast demand.

Employees who lost jobs during the pandemic left industries, and it has yet to be seen that they would return. This has resulted in delays in shipping, production,

and, many times, the ability to operate at full capacity. Several sectors where workers have retired face a shortage of new talent coming into the trade, which is a specific problem for the sign industry—from fabricators to installation teams.

While there is a long list of factors that can be outlined, with customers bouncing back, the sign industry is faced with managing the new daily challenges of material and labor shortages being top of that list. signshop.com

Photo: Shutterstock/Trodler.

Material and labor shortages continue to challenge businesses.

Material Shortages Manufacturers have to work with suppliers to ensure materials are available proactively. From basic raw materials to vinyl availability, supplier discussions happen weekly and, at times, daily to understand current material availability.

This ultimately drives how to keep projects on track and may create the need to review other alternatives to meet customer deadlines.

It’s not so much a matter of not happening—just not happening on the expected timeframe. “Quick turn” has taken on a whole new meaning in some cases.

Roger Miller, director of national sign manufacturer Kieffer | Starlite Manufacturing (KiefferStarlite.com) in Mt. Airy, North Carolina, says, “Our team changed the way we are shipping signage for install due to the lack of availability for lumber and increased prices. Our teams noted the problem early on and began to quickly adapt so we could ensure our products were arriving without damage as a result

of crating differently than our standard.”

Miller continues to elaborate that his procurement teams forecast daily the materials needed to make sure there are minimal to few surprises to our customers. “Our need to be closely connected to all teams—from sales and design—has been a real shift during these shortages,” he states. “We have to have a clear pulse on what is being specified, so we can plan or communicate any changes needed.”

We anticipate, from our discussions with various suppliers, that these shortages will improve over time. Like other industries, the bottom line is that the sign industry may need to be proactive and creative to manage shortages.

As it relates to materials, here are a few suggestions to consider: • Review all upcoming needs for the remainder of the year, even if they are not confirmed.

• Determine what is critical and be flexible to help prioritize production planning.

• Set expectations with customers upfront that materials and turn-times need to be confirmed and may not be on the typical timeline.

• Schedule a regular call with your material suppliers. A discussion will help all parties have insight into upcoming activity, and you can understand your supplier’s procurement strategy. This dialogue will also help you be better engaged and develop a plan to better support your business objectives that could be impacted.

Labor Shortages I am a spokesperson for Kieffer | Starlite, and our company has taken a more creative approach to hiring at our manufacturing facilities as we have needed to bring on more employees to meet demand after right-sizing during the pandemic.

We are highlighting total compensation, which includes benefits and promoting other monetary incentives such as a hiring bonus to draw attention for job seekers.

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It is essential we highlight the trade opportunities of the sign industry. Specific to our facilities, we discuss the custom nature of our manufacturing operations, which comes with a lot of problem-solv-

ing to meet our client’s needs. No one day is the same, which can be an exciting draw to many who specialize in our trade.

Whether it involves fabrication or a tight deadline, job satisfaction includes

the process of taking a design concept and figuring out the best way to build it. There are several opportunities in a shop to experience cross-training and find a skill to build upon that is enjoyable.

Here are a few more tips I have for attracting new talent to your shop: • Meet with local schools to discuss the sign industry and post jobs on their job boards at school.

• Allow for tours with potential students and highlight that the industry presents challenges, growth, and no typical day—which translates to not being a boring and repetitive job.

• Communicate total compensation, which includes hourly pay and benefits pay to showcase it is more than just a paycheck.

• Highlight cross-training opportunities. Potential new hires can experience an area they may want to specialize in or have the ability to work in several facets of your facility.

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DIGITAL CNCPRINTING ROUTER

BY BYBRAD JEFF WOOTEN BURNETT

THE COOLEST

DESIGNS Photos: East Coast Sign & Design.

T

The art of producing graphics for vehicles, snowmobiles, and hockey arenas.

im LaFrance, co-owner with his wife Christina of East Coast Sign & Design in Lewiston, Maine, believes that the key to an effective vehicle wrap design is keeping it clean and simple. “I always try to make it so that the people looking at it know what the company or business does within three or four seconds of seeing it,” he says.

LaFrance has been an artist all his life.

It’s this instinct that has allowed him to know the ins-and-outs of sign graphics. It also played a big role in deciding to open up his shop twenty-seven years ago.

At that time, LaFrance was involved in the lumber industry. Although he enjoyed being a lumber salesman, LaFrance knew it wasn’t going to be a long-term career.

LaFrance noticed the sign guy coming by every day, so one day, he asked him directly how he made his vinyl signs. The sign maker happily clued him in about

signshop.com

the machine he was using.

LaFrance did his homework on this machine as well as how graphics were designed and produced. “A few months later, I asked my boss, ‘What if I got a vinyl cutter and my wife made the signs to tag the lumber?’” he says. “That was our first account!”

The couple started East Coast Sign & Design working out of their basement.

“We took out a $5,000 loan, and the very first thing we bought was a twenty-fourinch Roland DG cutter,” says LaFrance.

Today LaFrance and his wife’s company operates out of a 2,600-square-foot facility attached to their home. They even have a garage for doing vehicle graphics.

“This bay doesn’t have a high ceiling, but we can do pick-up trucks and trailers in this bay,” says LaFrance. “We’ll do larger trucks outside if the weather is nice or, if there’s any inclement weather, use a

friend’s larger bay down the street.”

The couple’s youngest daughter, Samantha Minnehan, is also a part of the East Coast Sign & Design team, working in the field of design. “We’re a good combination. I’ve been doing it for so long that people know my style and come to me for my designs,” says LaFrance. “My daughter’s style is completely different from mine, and clients love her work too.

It’s good for them to have options.”

Their roster of equipment includes a Roland DG SOLJET XC-540 printer that they’ve solidly been using for twenty years, as well as a new TrueVIS VG2-640 with orange and light black inks, a sixtyfour-inch heat laminator, and a fortytwo-inch Graphtec plotter.

One thing East Coast Sign & Design always tries to do with each project is help their clients stand out with their wraps.

“One [business client] kept sending me August 2021

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It’s cold in here! East Caast Sign & Designs prints in-ice graphics for the local hockey arena and installs wrap kits on snowmobiles.

images of the graphics her various competitors were using, which were mostly small designs on white vans,” explains LaFrance. “Although I could easily create a similar design, it wouldn’t be memorable for her potential clients. I convinced her to go big, and she’s happy that she did.”

The company currently designs, produces, and installs lots of vehicle graphics for local service businesses. “We also produce vehicle graphics for the police and sheriff’s department and for individuals looking to personalize their cars, trailers, and golf carts,” says LaFrance.

They also wrap snowmobiles, which can prove difficult as these vehicles can feature so many different angles and make cutting templates a chore. “However most of our customers here are buying the wrapping kits online and bringing them to us to install,” says LaFrance.

East Coast Sign & Design also creates interior signage and banners for local hospitals, as well as backlit signs for restaurants and retail establishments. “We run a ton of full-color, four-by-eight-foot signs for the high school and for contractors,” says LaFrance. “We also do a lot of wall and window graphics for other businesses in town, as well as print tons of labels, decals, and other branding items, including t-shirts.”

LaFrance is also a hockey player and fan, so he arranged to meet face-to-face with the owner of the large nearby arena that hosts semi-pro NHL teams and was awarded the opportunity to provide graphics at the facility. “We do all the dasher board graphics, in-ice logos, stair riser graphics, and sponsor signage,” says 30

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August 2021

LaFrance. “We even wrap the Zambonis.

“Ice arenas are a specialty production workflow because the conditions are so wet and rough. It helps that the TR2 Inks we use with our VG2 printer/cutter are bright and durable.”

For the in-ice graphics, LaFrance prints onto large amounts of mesh banner and cuts it so it can be pieced together later. “We pull the backing off of the mesh banner,” he explains, “then the arena puts a coat of ice down, paints the ice white, and rolls the banner down on the ice. They then spray water over it. The water goes in-between the mesh and the logo, and then they build up the ice on top of it.”

Their hockey-related graphics don’t just stop on ice. East Coast Sign & Design also provides decals and numbers for teams’ helmets and locker room nameplates and even wraps for goalie masks.

The local arena was resold recently, and LaFrance hopes to be able to retain that business when they open back up.

“Even if we’re not able to do so, we still serve other arenas around the country,” he says.

Last year, LaFrance’s shop was deemed essential during the pandemic, so they were allowed to stay open.

One thing that helped their business survive during this tough period was that they were able to wrap a lot of new vehicles. “Shop owners and individuals would buy whatever vehicles they could, then bring them to us to make them the right colors and match their requested shades on the VG2,” says LaFrance. “That helped us make up for some of the lost

revenue during the shutdown.”

LaFrance says that car and truck dealers in town were very limited in what they could get for vehicle colors. “Say a company had a fleet of all-white vehicles, but the dealer only had black trucks,” he says. “The dealer would send them to us and we would wrap them all white with color-change vinyl.”

LaFrance points out a lot of new businesses and opportunities have started up in his area, and they have come to him needing logos and signage designed, printed, and installed.

One example is small shops that sell nutrition supplements and shakes.

“They’ve been popping up everywhere now, and we do wall lettering and outside signs for them,” says LaFrance.

Another client has been cannabis dispensaries. “In our area, marijuana is legal for personal use, so those stores are pretty much on every corner,” says LaFrance. “They’re trying to get a lot more professional looking with their graphics.

They’re leaning away from psychedelia and marijuana leaves and trending more toward promoting health.”

East Coast Sign & Design has also been working on their social media presence and has been actively posting timelapse project videos.

“Those videos gain a lot of traction and really help demonstrate the quality of our work,” says LaFrance. “Recently we’ve been getting more requests for quotes and orders through our web site for print-and-ship items. Going forward, I want to continue to grow that part of our business.” signshop.com

EMPLOYMENT CNC ROUTER

BY BYBRAD EMILY LYBURNETT ECKAR ECKART

MANUFACTURING

JOBS

The manufacturing industry attempts to recover post-pandemic.

Photo: Shuttertock/industryviews.

M

anufacturing jobs, like jobs in many industries, were hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. As the economy recovers and jobs return, the industry is coming to terms with a changed world that presents new challenges and opportunities.

“I don’t see a return to the normal way we were pre-COVID,” says Don Klepper-Smith, chief economist and director of Research of DataCore Partners LLC. “Thinking of postCOVID—and a post-COVID environsignshop.com

ment—there is a new normal that is coming to the fore.”

During the pandemic, “as with every industry, manufacturing jobs declined,” says Patrick Flaherty, director of Research at the Connecticut Department of Labor. “They were not, on a percentage basis, the largest decliner in the country or in the [state].

Other industries, such as restaurants, suffered much larger losses.

“But we did see a decrease in manufacturing employment that was significant and that has still not fully recovered,

either nationally or here in the state.”

There is good news: Unlike the economic damage caused by the 2008-09 Great Recession, which was followed by years of slow recovery, manufacturing jobs have returned more quickly during the pandemic.

Flaherty points out that COVID-19 vaccinations have been beneficial not only to public health but also to the greater economy.

“As we see vaccination rates increasing, in those places where vaccination rates are high, we’ve seen the economy August 2021

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come right back,” he says.

Smith forecasts that manufacturing is going to gear up to the degree of consumer demand.

“That is why consumers are so key,” says Smith. “What are consumers going to be demanding in terms of consumer durables? Are they going to spend more time cocooning at home?

Are they going to be traveling? Are

only jobs—it’s the fact that productivity in the manufacturing sector has been stellar.”

In terms of gross state product or gross domestic product, the value added per manufacturing in Connecticut is one of the highest of all states.

At a larger scale, Smith says, “We’ve seen the national economy transition from traditional manufacturing to-

factured goods created, there was another $1.35 worth of activity in other economic sectors. This “multiplier effect” was twice that of most of the services sector.

Furthermore, Smith says, “For every job you create in manufacturing, there are another one-and-a-half jobs created elsewhere in the economy.”

While it has been ten years since the release of the report, Smith says, “If anything, the multipliers have gotten even stronger since those statistics were recorded.”

Smith explains that jobs are going to be created where there are two “P’s.”

“The economy is driven by productivity and profitability,” he says. “In terms of ‘profitability,’ the cost of business factors significantly in whether or not a state can increase its manufacturing workforce.

Smith cites a Moody’s report that found 40 percent of a state’s long-term job growth is a function of the cost of doing business. This give an advantage to business-friendly states like North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, and Georgia, which are attracting new

they going to have the disposable income to drive that growth?”

Looking ahead, Flaherty notes, “The Bureau of Labor Statistics has projections for decline in manufacturing employment over the next ten years.”

However the picture is more nuanced than a simple decline.

The manufacturing industry is diverse with many different kinds of jobs.

Smith gives an example of how manufacturing has changed over the decades in Connecticut. “In 1969, there were 470,000 manufacturing jobs in Connecticut, and right now, there are about 152,000,” he says. “But that doesn’t tell the whole story. It’s not 32

Sign Builder Illustrated

August 2021

wards trade and services and now information technology and so forth.”

He believes manufacturing is still crucial to national economic growth.

“We can’t ignore the importance of manufacturing,” says Smith. “Manufacturing is still an integral and important part of the US and Connecticut economies.”

In a 2011 report co-authored by Smith, “Connecticut Manufacturing: Building on the Past, Creating our Future,” researchers found the manufacturing sector both created and amplified other economic activity in the state.

For every dollar’s worth of manu-

manufacturing jobs, sometimes from companies looking to move out of the more expensive northeast region.

For productivity, a skilled workforce is key.

Even as jobs shift toward lower-cost areas, companies need workers who have the requisite skills and knowledge. Smith emphasizes the importance of STEM—science, technology, engineering, and math: “To the degree that we can see educational programs, not only at the college level but also at high school level and even going into grade school, that prepare people for advanced engineering, technology, and math,” he says, “that speaks to ecosignshop.com

Photo: Shutterstock/wavebreakmedia

TRAINING PROGRAMS CAN ATTRACT WORKERS AND PREPARE THEM FOR SPECIALIZED JOBS, AND REGIONAL PROGRAMS ON SPECIFIC MANUFACTURING SEGMENTS CAN DEVELOP THE SKILLED WORKERS EMPLOYERS NEED.

One reason is an aging workforce. years of experience retire, they are nomic competitiveness.”

Meanwhile one of the challenges is Flaherty says, “The biggest problem sometimes hesitant to hire somebody not just creating jobs but finding work- right now for manufacturing in Con- with no experience at all. But the realnecticut is the replacement of retirees.” ity is that is who is out there, because ers to fill existing vacancies.

In Connecticut, the manufacturing of the Great Recession.”

A recent Deloitte report, “Creating In the period following the financial Pathways for Tomorrow’s Workforce workforce skews older than the averToday: Beyond Reskilling in Manu- age worker, with many more workers collapse, businesses weren’t hiring—so people entering the workforce during facturing,” found that of the approxi- close to retirement.

The Deloitte report notes similar that time didn’t start acquiring the exmately 1.4 million manufacturing jobs lost across the U.S. during the pan- trends nationally, citing a lack of in- perience employers hope to see.

According to Flaherty, “There will demic, 820,000 workers were hired terest in manufacturing jobs among back by the end of 2020. A remaining younger generations as part of the have to be an adjustment on both 570,000 jobs have not returned—and reason why new workers are not com- sides. Employers are going to have to adjust their expectations. And we’re of those, 500,000 are job openings. ing in.

Additionally, Flaherty says, the ca- going to have to do our job in workThese openings are for both entryreer trajectory of new manufacturing force development to skill up some level and skilled workers.

In a survey of U.S. manufactur- workers has suffered the lingering ef- of the folks to get them ready to take these jobs.” ing executives, 36 percent said it was fects of the Great Recession.

Training programs can attract work“Employers would like to hire peoharder to find talent now than it was in 2018. Based on these trends, the report ple with experience. The problem is if ers and prepare them for specialized predicts, “Manufacturers could leave they weren’t really hiring ten or fifteen jobs, and regional programs centered up to 2.1 million jobs unfilled between years ago, there is no one out there around specific manufacturing seg2020 and 2030, impacting everything with ten or fifteen years of experience,” ments could go a long way toward defrom productivity to innovation and says Flaherty. “So when they see their veloping the skilled new workers ememployees have thirty or (Aug).psd more ployers competitiveness toAXYZ GDP.” Trident Sign Builder Illustratedwho (7 x 4.875) Horz Ad @ 50%need.

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August 2021

Sign Builder Illustrated

35

SHOP TALK MANAGEMENT | BY ASHLEY BRAY Gould says employers should aim to connect and engage with employees at this time.

Connection. This means establishing a personal relationship with someone who works with you and getting to know their life and family context.

“While a team member might say, ‘I’m fine,’ that doesn’t reveal that they’re coping with a child that’s fallen behind at school, the loss of an extended family member, a friend on the front line, and so much more,” says Gould. “This is the kind of information that is unlikely to surface during a meeting but emerge slowly during more informal chats with colleagues as well as managers.”

Supporting employees in the post-pandemic.

T

he COVID-19 pandemic irrevocably changed the way we work. But what now? What does the workplace look like as we emerge from the pandemic, and how can employers support their employees in this reemergence?

Elizabeth Gould, coach and author of Feeling Forwards: How to Become the Person Who Has the Life You Want, says reactions to our return to some semblance of normal will vary from person to person, and an employer should pay close to attention to its own workers.

In her coaching work, Gould says she’s discovered two main reactions from employees.

Surprise resignation: Gould says employers often report a pattern of behavior before a surprise resignation, often from their better performers pre-COVID, which can include a lack of focus towards

work and a level of inattention to detail not previously experienced leading up to these unexpected resignations.

“Depending on how personally impacted an employee has been during the pandemic, there can be an element of ‘what is my life all about anyway,’ and they can bring that uncertainty and restlessness of spirit back to work,” says Gould. “If someone seems a little off their game, or distracted, it could be a sign of a major shift in life focus, not just struggling to cope with the new normal in daily life or post-pandemic malaise.”

Plowing ahead: “At the other end of the emotional spectrum, an employee can be so determined to return to life as usual [that] they want to look forward, no matter what,” says Gould. “They may be carrying the same uncertainties and stresses but are far less likely to admit exactly how they are feeling.”

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.

for in U.S. funds only. Prices are subject to change.

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 Subscriptions & Address Changes, please call (402) 346-4740, Fax (847) 291-4816, e-mail signbuilder@omeda.com, or write to: Sign Builder I llustrated, Simmons-Boardman Publ. Corp, PO Box 239, Lincolnshire IL 60069-0239 USA

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Sign Builder Illustrated

August 2021

COPYRIGHT © Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation 2021.

All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced without permission.

For reprint information, contact: Gary Lynch, Publisher (212) 620-7247 or glynch@sbpub.com.

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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Photo: Jopwell from Pexels.

The Way We Work

Engagement: Learn how someonefeels about coming to work. “I am not advocating employers should scale back achieving business goals and targets, but the more an employee can feel each day that they contributed to the business and the team around them, the higher their level of engagement will be to the business and for the business,” says Gould.

Above all, Gould emphasizes that positive emotions are key for navigating this new reality.

“Moving out of the pandemic may take longer than any of us would like,” she says. “To move forward, even if it’s a half step at a time, it will be easier if there’s a focus on what is working rather than what isn’t, what can be achieved (not what is impossible), how the business could benefit the community as the pandemic is left behind, and celebrating the small but significant differences that can be made by everyone—employer and employee alike.”

For more information about Gould, her coaching, and her book, visit elizabethgould.com.

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