HOW TO CHOOSE A SIGN COMPANY

In order to choose a sign company, it is necessary to have some understanding of the industry's structure. Over the course of time, several distinct "personalities" have emerged. The following description capture the major types.

The Commercial Sign Shop :
The commercial sign industry is made up of the vast majority of small sign shops across Canada and the US. These are comprised of sign painters, woodcarvers, pinstripers, guilders, calligraphers, and etc. In terms of numbers, this is the largest segment of the sign industry - about 30,000 shops, according to some estimates. Of course, no one knows for certain, because the commercial sign industry is made up not only of a fair number of perfectly reliable and established enterprises, but also includes a number of people who work out of garages, or who hold other full-time jobs. At present, no reliable demographic information exists which truly tracks this segment of the industry (or defines exactly who belongs to it).

The Custom Electric On-Premise Industry :
This part of the industry is a group of approximately 3000 to 4000 shops which design, manufacture and install several billion dollars worth of internally illuminated signs each year. The custom electric sign industry truly represents the establishment, and as such, is the best defined in terms of sales volume and demographic make-up. It is also the only on-premise sign industry represented by its own trade association: the National Electric Sign Association. The custom electric sign shop's genesis dates back to the early 1900s. The introduction of neon in the 1920s fueled its growth. Luminous tube signs "custom" one-of-a-kind items, have been popular in expressing the uniqueness of each business. With the resurgence of neon in the 80s, the industry has continued to thrive.

Production Sign Companies :
The high volume production sign companies supply the needs of North American franchises. A cartel of about a dozen major manufacturers does large volume business with big businesses. The typical customers are the major retailers of the oil companies, the food franchises, the hotel/motel chains, the convenience stores, etc. There are probably not too many towns in this country without a production sign or two. These signs have become a highly recognizable mark along the roadsides of North America.

The Architectural Sign Industry :
What defines and separates this segment of the industry from the others, is its design function: an architectural sign is an integral part of the environment. An architectural sign company manufactures a product which complements its immediate surroundings. An architectural sign company designs for a structured environment for a corporate or institutional facility. This is a large and diverse market including airports, zoos, hospitals, office buildings, stadiums, hotels, shopping centers, government buildings, etc. Architectural design is a specialized discipline that is practiced by a group called the Society of Environmental Graphics Designers (SEGD). The several hundred core members of this association are primarily composed of design specifiers who subcontract the actual fabrication to sign system manufacturers. These firms supply a market, which could be described as somewhat of a hybrid of the quantity production and custom sign industries. This means an architectural sign manufacturer must often provide a large number of signs, each fulfilling a specific purpose.