Erik Sine

Interesting.... I see this from time to time on the news, large sing companies going Employee Owned. Anyone here made that transition? I Am curious on what it's been like since doing and what the pros and cons of doing that? I imagine having every employees as part owners there are exemptions??? Thoughts??? Lytle Signs becomes employee-owned TWIN FALLS — An Idaho-based sign product manufacturing, service and installation company has sold into an employee ownership plan. Lytle Signs Inc. has 85 employees based in Twin Falls and Meridian. The Lytle family has owned and operated the Twin Falls sign company since 1948. “I have seen a lot of changes in the last 35 years here at Lytle Signs,” general manager Mark Crider said in a statement. “By far this is the most exciting for me. I feel that our people are ready to take on ownership and to carry on the great tradition of quality sign products. I see nothing but future growth for me and my fellow employee-owners.” Rex Lytle will continue on with his duties as president and chairman of the board of Lytle Signs, and Emmie Lytle will continue as a board member and corporate secretary. “I am excited to know that my family’s business and the legacy of Lytle Signs will continue on into the future for the benefit of our employees and customers,” Rex Lytle said.

That's good to hear Brian! @ChannelBender1 One of the Local Wholesalers here who I visit from time to time just got a Adams Bender shipped in. I saw it yesterday fresh on the pallet as I was there to borrow his metal brake. He's super stoked and I'm VERY excited for him, lol

Sign & Digital Graphics - What's In The Cabinet By Ryan Fluger http://read.uberflip.com/i/827403-june-17/83 It doesn't get any better than this. Of course it's happening at Sign & Digital Graphics brochure magazine of all places. This time it's coming from Ryan Fluger or "Fluker", and it's finally happened, they had to pull the Vinyl, Sticky Car Wrap Writer to write about electric signs and educate us that live and breathe in this trade. That says it all! Read no further... What is the greatest common detonator in all these articles we never really read? Well..... No real measurable facts, figures, or cost of operation displayed or explained in their marketing article about their products, or the conventional light source products their trying to compare their products too to illustrate a return on investment. We only read Marketing Claims that are simply executed, never explained. It's bad enough when Principal LED's Bryan Vincent writes these, who also now owns Ventex a Neon & LED component manufacturer (A big contradiction if I've ever seen one). But I guess these days he's too busy to write this month with his new move to a bigger facility where their "Assembling China in America" on their work benches. If I were Bryan Vincent I would be embarrassed to be included in this article for the biggest punch line I've ever seen to date. Maybe he didn't know what was about to be said and it was too late to push the "Eject Button" or scream for Ken Mergentime to yank the keyboard away from the "Fluke" Bryan better put down the solder gun, and fortune cookies on the work bench and take away the typewriter that Ryan "Fluker" took this month. Not to say Vincent's monthly marketing bullshit is any easier to swallow but at least it's more believable bullshit. Afterall who reads this crap? Yes, fellow tradesman and women who are actually in this industry something THEY do not even understand their just "vendor visitors" here The punchline?? It comes from Jason Horton, a director of Marketing ERrrrr....Lighting....from US LED. Maybe Mr. Farmer just had him thawed out from the 2005 cold storage locker and has no clue on current events Because even where most LED manufacturer's will admit (and in this article even) MAYBE their products will last as usable light at 50,000 hours of operation, Jason Horton is making the amazing claim his will EXCEED 100,000 hours and EVEN to 200,000 hours of operation on their LED lighting products for Sign Cabinets Measurable Facts, Figures, Cost of operation, where are they? We know they don't have any because again, they just execute exciting statement but never explain. They can feel free to plug in their numbers here, oh yeah....it's Real! http://www.thesignsyndicate.com/forums/index.php?/forums/topic/7893-led-retrofits-for-neon-fluorescent-lamps-overlooked-facts/

It's the same here in my city Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Item is sold!

This is an awesome video show on CBS This Morning, this morning on Neon. Even better to see some Sign Syndicate members taking part in the Video Segment!

Just to let everyone know our Classifieds section is back up, you will find it here http://www.thesignsyndicate.com/forums/index.php?/forums/forum/201-classifieds/ It's free to read and view by all. For posting your items you must upgrade your free membership to a Board Patron or Greater Member privilege. You will also be supporting this board and have access to much much more. Some of those benefits can be read here. http://www.thesignsyndicate.com/forums/index.php?/forums/topic/4279-upgrading-your-free-membership/ Info is a little out dated but I'm working on it!

So... If you haven't been aware or haven't been keeping up with the Electric Sign Industry there has been a big PR fight going brewing in the background slowly making itself to the forefront and it starts with WatchFire Signs mainly leading the war of American vs Chinese Import EMC Boards It's been all over social media and LinkedIn a lot lately with all links pointed to Watchfire Signs http://www.watchfiresigns.com/blog/watchfire-signs-unveils-new-fcc-emissions-guarantee What is this all about?....The Short? Watchfire Signs claiming the Imports break FCC regulations when it comes to emissions. That they can interfere with Broadcasting as well as cellular/data usage. How real is it? It's hard to know, placement is a big key along with usage, and individual EMC make up. But their painting it with a much, MUCH broader stroke IMO. We've all seen this once before in the electric sign industry when it came to LED's with unfounded claims followed by the long mis-information & mis-characterization marketing campaigns over conventional light sources. LED manufacturers used and created regulation to strangle and utterly annihilate conventional light source manufacturers. Though this is similar, it's also exaggerated and campaigning the FCC into a marketing sales tool. No doubt there is some truth to the claims in certain situations, but it's being painted into a much larger problem than it really is. They've involved and introduced a lot of fear marketing to the consumer, by they themselves paying massive fines and having to pay money for new EMC Boards to pass the FCC. Where this will get bigger and unlike in the past where Sign Associations have shrugged their shoulders at LED MFG claims and omitted to act on behalf of Neon & Fluorescent light manufacturers, that most likely WON'T happen this time because their going to get dragged into a self-serving marketing campaign that might bite them selves in the ass at the end, not only for Sign Associations who will be asked to pick a side between a large paying membership/sponsorship & Advertising payers, but also for the EMC industry itself who might get the government and bureaucrat agencies to look at the industry with a microscope which may entail more regulation to sort out the "green washing" but also bump that cost to the consumer who after all will pay for the waged war. We commented on a Linkedin WatchFire post a couple of weeks back when it comes to breaking emission standards, stating that most everything is produced in China, they have the worst pollution standards in the world and in no way would any manufacturer ever pass California standards. So if you take their "dirty" components from China and assemble them here in America is it suddenly now "Clean???" I personally can care less which way this goes, I know the consumer will pay for it in the end like usual. But I've been in this industry long enough to see manufacturers use regulation, U.L. / NEC / IAEI to rub out their competitors by bending so called "Safety Standards" to their advantage. As I've said in the past, beware of the "Product, Environmental Safety Movement", it's the biggest industry/manufacturer killer and once unleased it doesn't care who's side you're on. But this time their attempting to drag the sign associations into the street fight too. LED Boards are big money, and they pay big money to Sign Associations like ISA (International Sign Association) and others. If they think they won't find themselves getting involved, or can simply ignore it, think again. They'll have a lot of companies looking at them and they'll have to pick a side, gain some money/membership here, and loose a lot over here. This time it's a movement pushed and backed by bigger, more powerful funded dogs, Sign Associations will be asked, Errrrr.... demanded "to do what's right, and not do only what comes easy" as is their way in the past. After all these large LED Board Manufacturers basically make the sign conventions with their big floor spaces and sponsorships foreign or domestic. Their not funding these Associations for nothing after all every time we see a city pass a ban on these Boards a ISA rep is there before the ink is dry. The ISA Expo LED Park that they like to have on the floor will be at stake if nothing is done in the eyes of those that fund it. This is something the Neon & Fluorescent market should have done from day one with the sign associations when they were on top, instead of fighting to be the "Last Man Standing" in a small market that was one dominating. Lesson Learned. This will be interesting. Sign Associations never gave two shits about letting the LED manufacturers spread mis-information and mis-characterize the Neon & Fluorescent manufacturers and community, which has been the Electric Sign Industries long standing heritage....So... Watchfire Signs is marketing... Watchfire Signs Doc Subversive_Importers_Threaten_042817_Web_OPT.pdf This may go, or it may all go nowhere at all BUT.....make no mistake.....I'll be watching how this all slowly unfolds with a beer in one hand and peanuts in the other from a distance Hell, I think I better make an order for some hot wings with some extra ranch on the side, this may be a while!

Thought I would announce some VERY good news on something coming soon.... A new NC LED High Powered Light Output Color Product Line Up

Here's some projects done by a few customer/members using the our USHIO Filament LED s14 lamps Heritage Sign Co Chandler Signs ".... I’m glad we went with your bulb because they added flashing.....There is also a rooftop sign but I don’t have any good close up shots of that...."

Rocco, Why don't you and who ever else is interested, knowing the pricing (our cost) send me what you would charge (i'll average them out) and I'll move everything over in a official .pdf doc that i'll upload here and send out through social media. There has been a lot of interest in this article beyond the sign industry that has been coming from the larger retailer end of things, I've already received a few emails from them

In a few weeks we will be making a major change over. Some Features and Forums will be moved over the and will ONLY be accessed by the paid membership, or....free members who choose to support The Sign Syndicate by upgrading their free membership. I'm going to be updating a few things. As some may know we have shut down the White Neon Lamps that have been in The Great White Hope II due to bad processing. In the original Great White Hope manufacturers made and processed the lamps. For round two I had the grand idea of letting a local guy do it, NOT good. We had larger diameter lamps brighter than thinner diameter. So, for this we're going to have one of the best Neon Guys Process these for us so we're on the plane we're supposed to be on. Also this week we're ordering an electric sign cabinet extrusions and build that up for Lamp studies and benchmark numbers for light sources, namely HO Fluorescent & LED Light sources. I want to update a lot of our ongoing testing and a lot of this increase will cost money, so I'm looking to boost some membership to pay for some of this. Lastly, the Review Forums will be moved to this side too. There will be more perks such as adding your company to our subcontractor & Installer Map, Non-Commercial Classifieds Section The Best Part? What??? This membership is dropping HUGELY, from $100 to $29. That's very affordable, and doable to up keep and do what our trade magazines and sign association WON'T dare or have the courage to do. Something only the Syndicate can do

JOE WALSH OF VOLTARC DAVE OF ELLIOTT What can I say, Elliott always has BEAUTIFUL Trucks and I wish I had one! Our Friday evening with friends who are like family, NC LED, Abitech, & RNS Letters What's Vegas without a little gambling??? Saturday morning all I know is Coffee was a MUST and I dared not get in the way of that and of course there's always those unexpected friends that show up, Marko of YYZ Have to close Vegas out with a Pizza, Wings, and IPA's We had fun at ISA as we always do. Rumor is ISA Orlando will soon be moved to Atlanta THANK GOD! I'm looking forward to that change of venue! It was good to see our friends again, and make new ones. It's a shame to see friends only once a year, but ISA is more than just exhibiting and attending a show to see what is new even if hardly anything is new.....it's most importantly about re-connecting and connecting with new friends!

This year we had a shorter than normal trip to ISA's Sign Expo held in Las Vegas. We left on a late afternoon Thursday and returned early crack of dawn on Sunday. How was the show? Well, it was your normal ISA show. Walking in it was exciting and fun, with a DJ spinning right as you walked in. On our first day it was pretty hilarious. There was some derelict who seemed to wander in the registration line who was laying on the floor who had his ass hanging out with an elder ISA registration agent trying to help him up without touching his bare ass He had nocked down the a few of the line polls and was just mentally out of it, he didn't know where he was. Kgirl was pretty sure it was a attendee, but I didn't think so unless the party just didn't stop since the night before We were very "in and out" with the NC LED booth and concentrated our time on the show room floor to see what was new. Not a whole lot new, one thing that was new was the printy solvent smell that was strong from previous years. I guess they had ventilation this year??? However, there was a lot of talk about this topic there, And few Manufacturers were asked about this, don't ask me why I can't imagine http://www.thesignsyndicate.com/forums/index.php?/forums/topic/7893-led-retrofits-for-neon-fluorescent-lamps-overlooked-facts/ We happened to walk by the ISA Rocks show which was a biggy in Orlando, but seemed really small this year which was held at House of Blues. We didn't get a chance to go nor did we even know it was there on a Thursday night, but it did look low in attendance which bring me to the next part. The attendance on Friday, Saturday, was very VERY low, and surprisingly so. It would be shocking to hear from ISA, if they announce it was otherwise. Just about every exhibitor felt it was low and smaller than normal Vegas traffic. It was similar to Orlando traffic. We spent most of our time at the show meeting with friends and vendors. LEAVING SAN DIEGO LUNCH AT TOM URBANS OF COURSE MEETING WITH LONGTIME INDUSTRY FRIENDS DAVE OF FRANCEFORMER FRIDAY AT ISA KGIRL AT THE ISA BOOTH GRABBING LUNCH AND A DRINKS KGIRL WORKING HARD AT OUR SOCIAL MEDIA She's a hard worker, lol SPENDING SOME TIME WITH JOE @ INTERNATIONAL LIGHTS I was digging Joe's new patent pending border LED lights, very creative! AT THE FRANCEFORMER BOOTH