What Can We Expect in Signage This Year?

Like many others around the United States, my Memorial Day holiday looked quite a bit different than in the past. My workdays are unrecognizable too, with my signage team grounded at home instead of visiting partners and many of those sign makers temporarily closed or operating at restricted capacity.

One report noted that more than half of American companies have experienced a “significant impact to revenue." Another study estimated that more than 100,000 small businesses across the country have shut down permanently since the start of the pandemic. Across all states and industries, businesses are being forced to deal with supply chain disruptions, factory shutdowns, workforce furloughs and layoffs, decreased output and other challenges they never expected.

Despite this, I am hopeful that all of us, and in particular the signage industry that I have spent so many years working in, will rebound. Why am I so confident? Not only will modern, efficient brand signage be more important than ever—largely due to decreased foot traffic and tighter operational budgets—but also because the people powering signage have proven to be resilient, adaptable and innovative.

At Current, our U.S.-based signage team has been working diligently to help our partners. For example, product flow is critical. Through constant communication we have been able to make sure that we deliver when and where product is needed, without fail. This helps keep inventory levels lower and maximizes cash flow for both our distribution partners and our mutual customers. With in-person meetings virtually eliminated, we have switched to digital communication methods, which allow us to be present and as responsive to our customers’ needs as ever. For example, we are working on a summer webinar series that will bring customers valuable information on existing products, as well as introducing the next generation of signage products that our engineering team has been hard at work on, including Tetra Atom, Select TX Gen 3 and a soon-to-be-released product. (More on that later.) Finally, our sales team is using this time to educate our customers by participating in webinars held by our distribution partners, all geared to helping provide the best possible solutions to our customers. We remain as committed as ever to our American and Canadian customers.

I’ve spent decades working with small businesses, contractors and entrepreneurs. I’ve seen firsthand the hard work, dedication and sacrifice necessary to make a venture successful. And while many of those small businesses are facing challenges they could never have prepared for, I’m also seeing unwavering resilience and a strong commitment to operating more efficiently.

I’m proud to be a part of this industry and to have forged so many relationships with others. Those partnerships are more important than ever, and they will be one of the main reasons why signage emerges from the pandemic stronger than before.

Contact us to learn more about Paul’s team and how they can address your signage needs.