Signs of The Times - July 2011

[Erik Sine]

ISA's “Chairman’s Message”, in this months Signs of the Times.

John Allen is discussing the new surprises that awaited him at this years convention in Las Vegas.

What’s not being discussed or told is the huge jump in exhibitor attendance is solely due to the Chinese component manufacturers that have continued to take market share over US companies, in LED sales as well as EMC sales. China is famous for patent infringement, and has a government that just about makes it impossible to control or enforce, let alone the cheap labor compared to the US and CHEAP LED components that are helping to bring our sign industry into the crapper. I was on the floor, and after talking to a few vendors, the ISA’s Expo became dubbed “Signs China”.

He says a survey was taken at the show with 88% of the participants “expect” growth, with 64% “believe” they will meet or exceed 10%. I don’t have too much faith in “believing”, I’m a hands on guy, I need to touch , feel and see. I would have had people take the survey after the show, after strolling down “Signs China”. Hey, I’m a capitalist too, people can spend their money where they want to spend it, but the appearance didn’t build to much confidence for me. Maybe we can start some confidence in encouraging small component manufacturers and service providers by charging the Chinese more to set up a booth? A Tax, or Tariff, since our products sold there are taxed. Charge less for domestic exhibitors? We ARE China’s biggest customer right? But we do export coal to burn their smoke stacks. Just trying to offer a small solution along with my comment.

NSC’s

What’s up with the the National Sign Companies that owe money to suppliers and subs, how did the Supplier/Distributor National Sign Conference go? Doubled attendance I heard with the new added NSC’s, maybe ISA Can start a charity fund (dub it “NSC Stimulus Backup, Backup) for all those subs who are hanging by a shoe string, have made payroll again somehow, where the owners are probably eating nothing but peanut butter and jam for breakfast, lunch and dinner because ISA won’t or is afraid to look at fellow chairman and board members of committees and subcommittees (and start canning) who’s companies are outstanding in money owed to subcontractors and using them as an illegal form of “line of credit”? To access this fund whether you are a ISA member or NOT, simply fill out a green form which you can download from the ISA website naming the Board Chairman or Board member and attach a copy of the invoice once it’s 45 days past due, the controller will be rep from a NSC who’s company has been in good standing for the past 365 days. Care to be the first to make a donation Mr. Chairman? Huh?

The Man of the show himself

General McChrystal was there, he knows all about “leadership” and leading from the front and on the ground side by side with his troops, even the word “responsibilities and accountability” was used. Hmmmmm, where shall our “leading” industry association go with this on the “line of credit” issue? Where to go, where to go. No need, there are bigger issues at hand, EMC city ordinance regulation and UL Green Leaf are much, much bigger on the Agenda! I wonder what McChrystal would think had he known this before speaking? So much for applying the “plywood” to our typical sign shop owners who have strengths and fears glued to some sort of leadership coming from? Alright

Seminars & Sustainability

Seminars have doubled too, blah blah blah..... Again, let’s get rid of the Infomercial seminars which is about 90% of the ISA education errrr, marketing courses put on by Vendors and since ISA is moving into “Sustainability” and world opinion lets’s start by having real courses on energy and how it plays with the electric sign industry. This is where the Community Organizer (Wade Swormstedt) can once again champion the cause of truth, justice, and the American way. I know the Organizer is a Conservative in his views, so I hope he starts to dig in real deep here. Who cares about what the Euro’s are doing with Green Energy and other green initiatives, their practically bankrupt because of it, let’s look at the light bulb war there. Now we want to be just like them??? As if it wasn’t bad enough, now ISA has a hard on to be more “World” like, with “World opinion” headed up by someone who’s name I can’t even pronounce. Spain just completely overhauled their government recently because they went bankrupt due to following green initiatives, Ocean Spray just left New jersey for Pennsylvania because they don’t have the green energy initiatives bill (Cap & Tax) that NJ’s Governor Chris Christie just killed because it would be a business and job killer, post Ocean Spray. HAVE YOU SEEN CALIFORNIA???? I live here, we have the biggest fruitcakes here, it’s the DMV x 1000!

Back to Seminars, ISA needs to put together a real “Conference” and invite all the big playa’s, they can invite the CA Energy Commission, Edison, SDG&E, light component manufacturers and we can all sit down and look, touch and feel, each light source, most of all, WE CAN TALK ROI, yes “Return on Investment”. We can even ask what happened to all those energy/light reports that the commission and Edison did that never became public, they took the info, but it disappeared like Jimmy Hoffa. C’mon Community Organizer, it’s time to dig deep! I don’t want to do YOUR job for you, I don’t get paid for this. Can we say “Enter UL Green Leaf”? Hmmmmm, “A gift of green signage” Let’s make a big pot an stir it all up, invite the newest ISA Board member "Magic Mouth" (Steve Williams of Harbinger Sign), he can bring his channel letter “O” and he can lecture us how he saves clients 60%-80%. The Sign Twirler of New England who now outdoes Magic Mouth can tell and show us how his LEDs save 90% in energy, AND we can do this along with a few from the Syndicate and really bake a cake! I’m not talking about the cake seen in on the inside of the cover of SOT either.

Edison's version of building proper test cabinets to study our industry???

Energy Efficient???

LINK

Lori Anderson stated on My Print Resource.com interview that even she knew sign companies are trying to push “Green” (The new red), but sign users aren’t asking for it, or demanding it. So ISA will assist in “creating a demand” with the help of Euro’s and peoples names of whom I can’t pronounce. Let’s propagandize junk science, fuzzy math, and figure out a way to get the government to pick a winner, not the consumer. Create energy tax incentives (our tax dollars) incentives to pay for products that can’t make it on their own, in other words, let’s steal from Peter and give it to Paul.

Happy Birthday AMERICA!

Lastly, is it not 4th of July ISA, did you forget? Or are YOU getting to worldly since the jump you had in Exhibitors are largely due to imports? Last year you mentioned it, I have to admit it sucked, but at least you “observed it”, you knew it existed....you just didn’t know or forgot why it existed? What’s next? Happy Holiday in Decembers issue or will we see “Merry Christmas?” LINK

I know 4th of July is about revolution, freedom, sacrificing, dying for freedom, individual rights, but come on! I know you might not want to offend the Chinese, but isn’t it bad enough it’s not even or hardly in public schools? Or maybe you’re a little afraid how I might reflect it on leadership? Maybe because your mentioning “Green” but calling it something else this time and it’s the month of July’s report. This magazine is still published in America right, wait....let me check, says “Ohio” can’t find where it says it’s actually printed, might be China. Hmmm, just noticed Signs f The Times is a ISA Member. Wow, look at the “Service Directory” located in the back of the magazine, I wonder how many are owed money? Never mind, I took a tangent! Let’s not go there, maybe another time.

With a little bit of "Luck", maybe they realized that "Green", the new communist Red just doesn not mix well with remembering "Independence Day", and the fight for "Freedom", and preserving individual liberties.

2011 Electric State of The Industry Report

Pfffffffffffffttt! Junk science with too many holes. This report is largely tainted and biased because it’s by SOT readers, the same readers who believe what they read because, “ if it’s in print, it must be true”. The Community Organizer (Wade Swormstedt) and his magazine SOT, are largely responsible of propagandizing the industry into thinking Fluorescent lamps, Neon, Mercury BAD, LED GOOD! Due to failing to fact check and writing obligation pieces to their large advertisers.

Yep, I’ll continue to be that “thorn in their side”.

[dave C.]

I agree with your assessment of attendance, it seemed as though the exihibitors literally outnumbered the attendees. i went with my 2 oldest sons this year who are involved in the business and gave them the tip whem your on the floor if your dressed up your selling, if your casual your buying. not always true but close enough.

I was most shocked at the pitiful attendance to hear Gen. McCrystal. I wanted to open the windows (there were no windows of course)and shout down at everyone to get up here.

and you would think that ISA would know what to expect and not put 300 (at the most) people in a room that would hold 1500. it made it look all the worse. Appreciated what he said and of course were able to get really close to him. Best speaker I've heard there since Terry Bradshaw back in 89? Dave

[Erik Sine]

I wish I would have been able to be there a day earlier to see our modern day "Patton", that would have made my trip. If ISA is smart they'll bring him back.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[LiteGirl]

Wish there was a "Like" button here. Good Thread!