SignStat

Jib booms are very useful, I have one in each truck. If you add a jib boom to a truck even if it has provisions for it and was not ordered with the truck you will be responsible for any accident that may occur. You could go back to the manufacturer and have them retrofit the truck and be OSHA compliant but that would be costly. When it was only me running the trucks I added forks, jib booms, electric and welding leads in the basket, now that I have employees I order the truck the way I want it. The liability will still fall on my company unless the product fails, but it is one less thing to keep me awake at night.

I am very interested in this topic, I have been looking for a less expensive alternative also. I have been in business almost 30 years, still looking. I do ask myself why do I care that customers can't afford an EMC or even my sign, am I expected to lower my standards so the customer can afford a sign and in doing so create more work in my business doing the customer service required to do so? I use Watchfire as my main source for EMCs, My second choice is Daktronics. The price of these units are close until you get to the larger signs. These two companies are dependable have very good quality and R&D departments. I have visited both facilities and they are impressive. I have used Cirrus once for my own customer and have installed a lot of Cirrus units for another sign company who I wholesale to. Cirrus will stand behind their product, but I have found Cirrus's customer service to be lacking, it also takes weeks sometimes to get modules which upsets customers, but at least I can get parts. From what I know of the company is that they are small and growing and along with that comes the growing pains that all companies have. I may try Cirrus again, thinking that Cirrus has worked more of the bugs out and I do like the modular concept. I do like the modular concept because it fits certain situations better, but if you are going larger than 16 modules (4x8) allow for extra time to build the sign. The sign will also need additional structure to handle windload that is not provided. I know of a company that used this system for a small billboard 168 modules per side, it took 3 men 2 weeks at over 8 hours a day to install the Cirrus sign where as a Watchfire, Dak, Formetco, etc would take a day maybe two.