When Washington Federal Savings embarked on a campaign to create a sign program from the ground up, they needed a company that could do more than just build signs. The bank executives were seeking a new fresh look at the forefront of design and featuring new energy efficient technology. The Sign Factory was uniquely positioned to provide industry leading brand strategy, design, build and installation services.
“Jim Risher and his team did a good job of collaborating with us to interpret our branding guidelines to create an efficient design and workable signage program that has generated lots of positive comments from both employees and customers,” said Cathy Cooper, Sr VP and Marketing Manager. “The result is a very good design, look and feel for our corporate brand.”
The Sign Factory team attended weekly branding meetings for several months. They worked with an initial concept for a logo to create a prototype that was deployed for testing at a local branch. The new signs feature energy efficient fluorescent and LED’s to produce halo illumination that washes green light onto the sign faces which are curved to create an architectural feel. The letters are routed from the aluminum faces and accented with pushed-through acrylic to provide dimension.
“With our years of experience and new technology, we are a leader in partnering with our clients from the very beginning to create signage that sets them apart from the competition, “said Jim Risher, President, The Sign Factory. “This project represents a huge transformation in branding and signage recognizable to both employees and customers.”
For more information on how your company can take advantage of the latest high-tech energy efficient design, call 1-800-585-2066.
Originally published on PR Buzz.
It’s one of the most recognized signs at the M’s ballpark: The Hit-it-Here Café. When one of the world’s largest companies needed to re-brand the infamous sign, they automatically enlisted the experts at The Sign Factory.
The ING Direct project presented a significant challenge to design, manufacture and deploy an entirely new state-of-the-art sign that emulated the existing Hit-it-Here Café sign in time for opening day at Safeco Field. The Sign Factory team utilized their expertise, experience, complete neon department and industry-leading quality control program to install one of the most aesthetically pleasing and well lit signs at Safeco field.
“In an age of LED’s, this is a 100 percent neon sign with an efficiency level far superior to most other lighting options,” said Jim Risher, President, The Sign Factory USA. “We are very proud of the fact that ING Direct chose to continue our successful partnership on such an important branding campaign. The new sign provides consistent exposure for fans at the stadium and watching at home. This is a great addition to Safeco field.”
The work included significant changes to an existing sign below the Hit-it-Here Café sign, including reconfiguring, refurbishing and repainting to glow neon orange and white, matching ING’s branding. “This project could not have been successful without the depth of experience of Tom Bonifant, who brings years of experience working in complicated environments such as Safeco field,’ said Ken Naaz, V.P., Design and Development, The Sign Factory USA. “Because of our complete in-house neon department, we were able to work directly with the client during the process to ensure quality control at every phase of the process. As a result, everything was ready for opening day.”
The Sign Factory earned the trust of ING Direct after working successfully to rebrand their West Coast National headquarters located in Pioneer Square. ING was extremely satisfied with how the Sign Factory team was able to work with the local historical society to adhere to their stringent guidelines while at the same time installing functional corporate branding.
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Current economic challenges are forcing many companies to reevaluate their business operations and find ways to affect their bottom line a positive way. Increased costs of energy, and the impact of current energy use on the environment have inspired companies to go green, but they have found it difficult to do so because of the cost. Many companies don’t realize they can save money by taking advantage of federal and state tax credits, tax incentives and grant programs that help companies upgrade their facilities with green products.
The Sign Factory, Inc. recently completed the replication of Seattle’s historic Paramount Theatre vertical sign. The new sign is identical in appearance to the original landmark but was built using modern green technology. The lighting upgrade and sign retrofit qualified for about $56,000 in energy efficiency rebates from Seattle City Light. The project includes 1,944 LED lamps and 18 energy efficient solid-state neon transformers, rather than the old, inefficient magnetic units. Those changes will save about 493,268 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year. That’s enough energy to power about 55 typical homes and adds up to about $25,000 per year in savings for the theatre.
Depending on the city and utility district, businesses will have access to different incentive programs. These programs typically consist of a tax credit, a tax deduction, or a rebate. A tax credit is usually more valuable than a tax deduction because a tax credit is a one-for-one dollar reduction in the total tax bill. On the other hand, a deduction only removes a percentage of the tax that is owed. States, local governments, and utilities offer rebates to promote the installation of energy efficient products. The rebate amounts vary widely based on the program administrator and technology used.
Incentives to promote the production and use of renewable energy vary widely among states, but often include corporate income tax deductions, exemptions and credits. States provide property tax assessment relief and exemptions, sales tax exemptions and refunds, and grant and rebate programs.
In addition to state incentives, local utilities such as Seattle City Light and Puget Sound Energy offer incentives, rebates and permitting assistance to customers who would like to go green by upgrading their equipment, lighting and water systems to maximize energy efficiency. Grants are also available for new construction or remodeling of properties with the savings rate based on the level of energy performance improvements beyond code.
(Energy-efficient LED modules)
Washington state and most utility districts have incentives to help businesses retrofit their office space with energy efficient technologies. Renewable energy production equipment, energy efficient commercial appliances, and updated lighting systems are some of the items businesses can purchase and use that will give them tax breaks.
Seattle City Light and Puget Sound Energy are two utility districts that provide rebates to their business and residential customers for upgrading to energy-efficient technologies. Updating indoor lighting, exit signs, and outdoor signage are the most common ways businesses can take advantage of the rebates. “Typical sign upgrades for rebranding or updating signage should occur every 10 years,” said Jim Risher, president of the Sign Factory, Inc. According to Risher, the initial cost for the upgrade may be high, but with the tax credits and reduced operating costs it is one of the best times to rebrand and upgrade.
To begin an electrical upgrade, an energy analyst evaluates the lighting project and estimates the rebate and energy savings. Then, an authorization form is acquired and the business can contact their contactor or project coordinator. Once the installation of the new product is completed, the utility district will verify that it is completed and meets the standards. Finally, a rebate check, tax credit or deduction is given to the business in recognition of the energy-efficient upgrade.
“The most significant sign in Seattle” – City of Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board
The Sign Factory announced today that Seattle Theatre Group (STG), the non-profit organization that owns and operates Seattle’s Paramount Theatre, has hired them to replicate their historic vertical sign. The project is an exact replication, keeping the authentic look and feel of the iconic sign while updating it with modern energy saving materials and electronic technology.
Built in 1928, The Paramount Theatre’s architectural majesty and Beaux-Arts design was created specifically to house film and vaudeville. Surviving everything from the Great Depression to earthquakes, The Paramount Theatre has endured to become one of Seattle’s most beloved landmark venues. The iconic vertical sign is original to the building and in March of 1930 was re-lettered from “Seattle” to “Paramount”.
To restore the vertical sign, The Sign Factory of Kirkland, WA collected measurements, rubbings, and detailed information regarding every piece of steel, nut, bolt, screw, sheet metal, and paint samples from all surfaces. All of the information was brought back to their shop to be processed by their special project team and computer files were generated from the data compiled from the site. 
“We paid meticulous attention to every detail in order to maintain the authentic look and feel of the original historic sign while updating it with modern energy saving materials and electronic technology,” said Jim Risher, President of The Sign Factory.
The Sign Factory will remove the existing sign in 3 sections exposing the steel i-beams that are structurally attached to the original brick building. The i-beams will be sanded, primed and painted with an industrial coating on site. The letters and lighting fixtures will be replaced with aluminum components that are protected by Matthews Acrylic Polyurethane. The new Paramount vertical sign created with aluminum will consist of 17% postconsumer and 27% post-industrial materials; exceeding the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) requirements of 30% for building restoration projects.
“The historic sign consumes a ton of energy, from the historic power transformers and mechanical chasers to the incandescent light bulbs”, said Jim Risher, President of The Sign Factory. “It was very important to all of us that the new sign be as green as possible using advanced technology, while keeping the esthetic look of the current sign.” The replicated sign will be approximately 90% more energy efficient. Currently the vertical sign has 1,932 incandescent bulbs using 11 watts per bulb and are powered by several large mechanical chasers. The new sign will used LED bulbs that use .75 watts per bulb and powered by electronic chasers. In addition, replacing the magnetic transformers with Ventex High Power Factor (HPF) power supplies will save more than 66% of energy consumption when lighting the neon portions of the sign.
About The Sign Factory: The Sign Factory, Inc. is an electrical sign manufacturing, installation and service corporation. With our in house design department we have the ability to design and manufacture signs from start to finish. We specialize in branding multiple locations for corporations, large and small. The company has the capability to provide sign products throughout the US and Canada from our Kirkland, Washington facility. We offer wholesale production and project management on a regional and national basis. Major customers include; national retailers: Macy’s, Albertson’s, Safeway, US Bank, Bank of America, ING Direct, Supercuts, HairMasters, Starbucks, Wells Fargo, local architects, property managers, commercial developers and local retailers.
About STG: Seattle Theatre Group is the 501 (c) (3) non-prof i t ar ts organization that operates the historic Paramount and Moore Theatres in Seattle, Washington. Our mission is to make diverse performing arts and education an integral part of our region’s cultural identity while keeping these two landmark venues alive and vibrant. STG presents a variety of shows from Broadway, off-Broadway, dance and Jazz to comedy, concerts of all genres, speakers and family shows – at both historic theatres in Seattle and at venues throughout Puget Sound and Portland, Oregon.
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When Washington Federal Savings embarked on a campaign to create a sign program from the ground up, they needed a company that could do more than just build signs. The bank executives were seeking a new fresh look at the forefront of design and featuring new energy efficient technology. The Sign Factory was uniquely positioned to provide industry leading brand strategy, design, build and installation services.
