Since Sign Brothers started in 2007, we’ve strived to be a business that pushes our team members to be better people and that adds value to our customers and our community. To do that, we specified five core values that would serve as guideposts to make sure we never put short term gain above providing lasting value. This blog post is part of a series of posts breaking down each of our core values. In our first post we covered our first core values: “Integrity.” This post will break down our second core value: “Quality.” In this post we’ll be looking at where this core value comes from, why we chose this core value as our second core value, and how this core value impacts our day to day operations from our highest level leadership making company decisions to our newest team members. Let’s dive in…

Here’s cofounder and owner Justin Seibert on why he and Michael chose Quality as the second Sign Brothers core value:

“On the surface, this value almost seems unnecessary because a lot of businesses claim this as a core value and it sounds kind of vague. However, we are in a custom manufacturing business, and there are many opportunities to cut corners to save money and time. Mistakes happen in the production process and decisions have to be made in regards to pressing forward with a substandard product or starting over with a reproduction. Substitutions can be made with inferior components that might not ever be discovered by the client, but will impact the longevity of the sign. This is why quality is so important.”

A natural product of Integrity

Justin’s words show the natural connection of quality to integrity. It’s impossible to truly provide consistent quality as a custom signage company without first having firmly established integrity, and with integrity in place, quality is a natural result and expression of that integrity.

Designing the perfect solution

Every client, budget, and project is different. As a custom manufacturer, we pride ourselves on our ability to thoroughly understand what’s needed, and put our creativity to work to find the perfect sign solution.

After we have signage designs finalized and know what signs are needed, we create three different solutions at three different price points that use different materials.

Does Quality Really Matter?

As Justin pointed out, “Quality” can sometimes sound like a truism. But, in today’s world of planned obsolescence, building solutions that last has truly become a unique idea.

Did you know that there’s actually been a lightbulb that’s been on since 1901? That’s right, the technology for creating lightbulbs that last over 100 years has been around for more than 120 years. In 1925, the Phoebus Cartel was established by the worlds leading lightbulb manufacturers. The cartel agreed on a maximum for the amount of hours a lightbulb could last (1,000 hours) in order to drive up demand for lightbulbs. you can learn more about the birth of planned obsolescence in the below video:

Since 1925, planned obsolescence and corner cutting in business has been refined to an art. So why do we commit ourselves to the core value of “quality” in a world of disposable products? It’s not just an extension of integrity. Unlike a lightbulb manufacturer, as a b2b custom signage manufacturer we succeed when our clients succeed, and in order for our clients to succeed, they need their development projects whether they are hospitals, schools, commercial housing developments, or retail developments to hold value, and throw away signage solutions won’t do that.

While some big box signage manufacturers might preach affordability, we make sure that every sign from the materials, to the inks and paints used, to the fasteners will last for the intended time in its intended location. We take every factor into consideration like:

• Is the sign going to be installed indoors, or outdoors?
• Is the sign going to be installed in a location where maintenance entails specialized equipment and skill, or is it easily accessible?
• Is the sign going into a development where it will need to withstand a lot of wear and tear (like student housing, or a public restroom)?
• Is the sign going to be in direct sunlight where certain inks and paint colors will fade quickly?

These considerations might sound simple, but without a proven process, attention to detail, and experience with multifaceted signage projects, they can easily be overlooked and lead to signage that doesn’t last, or creates a headache down the line.

Conclusion

Are you in the midst of a development or construction project that needs a vendor with full timeline control? Fill out our contact form or give us a call at (706) 850-6172 and we’d be happy to talk. In our next blog we’ll break down our third core value: “Do What’s Best For The Customer.”