The Basics

We begin with nine standard questions to start our look from high above, asking about our respondents’ location, office/shop size, 2021 total sales and more.

Published

3 years ago

March 4, 2022

Signs of the Times Staff

1. In what state/province is your company (or headquarters) located?

Alabama (1)	Arizona (3)	Alaska (0)	Arkansas (4)
California (23)	Colorado (9)	Connecticut (4)	Delaware (2)
District of Columbia (0)	Florida (10)	Georgia (4)	Hawaii (1)
Idaho (2)	Illinois (7)	Indiana (2)	Iowa (4)
Kansas (2)	Kentucky (1)	Louisiana (1)	Maine (1)
Maryland (2)	Massachusetts (9)	Michigan (2)	Minnesota (2)
Mississippi (1)	Missouri (5)	Montana (2)	Nebraska (3)
Nevada (0)	New Hampshire (2)	New Jersey (10)	New Mexico (2)
New York ( 17)	North Carolina (11)	North Dakota (1)	Ohio (8)
Oklahoma (5)	Oregon (4)	Pennsylvania (8)	Puerto Rico (1)
Rhode Island (0)	South Carolina (3)	South Dakota (2)	Tennessee (2)
Texas (12))	Utah (0)	Vermont (3)	Virginia (3)
Washington (5)	West Virginia (1)	Wisconsin (6)	Wyoming (1)
	Canada (10)

STATES OF AFFAIRS. California, the largest state, led with 23 followed by New York (17) and Texas (12). Respondents hailed from 46 states in the US, Puerto Rico and four provinces in Canada.

2. Where is your company located by setting?

GOTTA START SOMEWHERE. Among the responses for “other,” warehouse and garage settings were mentioned.

3. What is the total square footage of your office and shop combined?

Less than 500 sq. ft.
5%
500-999 sq. ft.
5%
1,000-1,499 sq. ft.
6%
1,500-1,999 sq. ft.
8%
2,000-2,499 sq. ft.
6%
62,500-2,999 sq. ft.
11%
3,000-3,499 sq. ft.
7%
3,500-3,999 sq. ft.
2%
4,000-5,000 sq. ft.
11%
More than 5,000 sq. ft.
39%

4. How would you describe the market where your company is located?

Big urban market
17%
Suburban outskirts of a big urban market
23%
Medium-sized city (250,000-1 million people)
23%
Small city (25,000 to 250,000)
23%
Country town (up to 25,000)
8%
Resort area
3%
Other (rural, national)
3%

MARKET OUTLOOK. Medium-sized cities comprise the largest portion of the market in the Southwest (40%), while 33% of sign companies in the West work in big urban markets.

5. What’s your view of your position in your local market?

6. Which description of your business do you most closely identify with?

Full-service sign company (including electric and installation)
45%
Specialized sign company (non-electric or non-installation)
20%
Franchise sign company (full service)
7%
Franchise sign company (specialized)
1%
Independent vinyl or vehicle wrap shop
10%
Sign designer, design firm or design agency
3%
Wholesaler (sell to sign companies only)
3%
Sign installation and maintenance company
2%
Other (commercial printers, large format, no installations)
9%

MILLIONAIRES CLUB. A plurality of full-service sign companies (38%) report total sales in 2021 of $1M to $5M with a further 14% above $5M.

7. What were your total sales (US dollars) in 2021?

Under $100,000
10%
$100,000-$249,999
14%
$250,000-$999,999
37%
$1,000,000-$5,000,000
28%
Over $5,000,000
11%

SMALL PACKAGES. Most of the companies under $100K are located in the Northeast (30%), 87% have a total square footage of office and shop under 1,500 sq. ft., and 74% are working out of home offices.

8. Check products/services offered by your company:

Digital Imaging
54%
LED signs
58%
Electronic flat panel display
26%
Electronic message centers (EMCs)
42%
Architectural signage
71%
Channel letters
64%
Neon signs
30%
Non-electric changeable copy signs
52%
Screen printing
26%
Sandblasting
30%
Foamboard signage
64%
Billboard graphics
25%
Banners
91%
Vehicle graphics
81%
Floor graphics
76%
Window graphics
89%
Other
22%

ALPHABET SOUP. At 22%, selected responses from “other,” listed alphabetically: ADA (and braille), apparel, bags (and tags), business cards, carved, CNC (routed, laser), dimensional (3D), embroidery, engraved (laser), fabric, flags (and poles), gold leaf, handpainted, HDU, installation (and maintenance), labels, menus, murals, outdoor political, parking lot (and industrial) lighting, posters, rigid substrates, storefronts, sublimation and wayfinding.

Mars Bravo: The Most Interesting Name in the Sign Industry

Mars Bravo is not the kind of name you hear very often in the sign industry — the kind of name more likely to follow, “Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage…!” In this episode, Eric interviews Mars to find out about her start in the sign industry and her ideas for the future, first with how she got her name.