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EliteSignsAZ

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Everything posted by EliteSignsAZ

  1. I spoke with someone from N. Glantz today and was a little baffled when I told them about this posting. They told me they've been servicing NY out of their NJ branch and plan to continue doing so. I'd be curious to go back to my contact if someone can let me know how they were notified by N. Glantz about pulling out of the NY office. I've got nothing vested but curiosity. Erik...not sure where's your e-mailing, but I'll send you a message here with my contact info and I'll check it out. Thanks!
  2. Before getting involved in the sign business, I worked for a very large electronic components distributor and the things done via distribution were so much more advanced than what sign disti's do. My shop is right next door to N. Glantz in Phoenix, so it's easy for us to walk over to get things, Montroy is 10 minutes from us and also delivers daily, at no additional charge. Amazing that neither seem to stock much anymore, even basic & commonly used products. They're sales people are more farmers than hunters and nobody seems to take any initiative to "get the business". 4 years and I'm still trying to grasp any of the disti's business model in the Phoenix market. If N. Glantz is pulling out of NY, what's next???
  3. Elite Signs has openings for full and part-time, experienced sign fabricators and installers in Phoenix, AZ. Qualified applicants must meet the following criteria to be considered: -3 years minimum industry experience fabricating and/or installing signs -must be well organized, responsible and possess strong communication skills -ability to lead and work well with others -valid Arizona driver's license, clean motor vehicle record & background check -welding experience a plus This is a unique position for the right candidate, offering flexible hours and competitive pay. Please e-mail your resume to Jeff@EliteSignsAZ.com or fax to 480-287-8753. All communications will be held in strict confidence.
  4. If more sign companies did this, the industry would be far better off. I just turned down a large install worth over $20k because the company wouldn't give a deposit. They told me they would have to find someone else to do it. I'd like to think no sign company that needs to rent a 135' boom would take the job without a deposit, but I'm sure someone will. They won't be paid for at least 60 days and will still do the job dirt cheap. They'll also cut corners and to justify it, saying they did the job cheap. I hate turning down work, but this isn't good work. These same companies would flip out if we accepted a job and couldn't complete it on their deadline, so why should it be OK for them to not pay to the agreed upon date? To us, that's a deadline too!
  5. Reading your list, you've hit a number of offenders for my companies as well! Fairmount and Icon are at the top of my list. I've told them to remove us from their vendor databases, as they are horrible at paying. The PM's I've delt with personally at Icon have absolutely no common sense or sign knowledge.
  6. Just like the last post, I don't request a cert from my insurance agent until a job is sold. We usually get a sample cert from the client, showing who they want listed and the amounts they are requesting that we carry. We've never had any issues.
  7. I've been speaking with a PM from Cummings Signs that deals with Residence Inn by Mariott over the past few weeks.
  8. This does. Thank you both for the help and quick responses! Have a great week.
  9. Anyone out there know who's currently building signs for Subway? It's been so long and changed hands so much I forgot. Thanks in advance!!!
  10. Anyone know who's building Edward Jones' signs? I've seen quite a few going up out this way. Checked out a few sets, but don't see a manufacturer label. Thanks!
  11. We've done a few Starbucks installs and service for Walton Signage, but nothing recent. I know those guys wouldn't touch the signs for $400! Anyone find out who's doing them?
  12. No offense, but I'm not sure I understand the logic here. If you don't have the work now, as a business owner, how can you justify keeping the current payroll in place? What if things don't pick up for your business as you planned? The situation you describe and the actions being taken are exactly what happened to a previous employer of mine...don't pay suppliers or bills for PAST work, but continuing to operate the business with the same head count, just to keep good people there. Eventually, things dried up further, suppliers got more and more agitated (and took legal action), taxes & insurance weren't paid, equipment was repossessed, payroll checks were late (and then started bouncing) until the landlord locked the doors. The good people hung around 'till the bitter end and were the ones screwed the worst. I'm sure you explain to your clients that you need the money for the work your company has performed and are hounding them for payment, so why would it be fair for your company to do the exact same thing to its vendors?
  13. I guess what I meant to say is that working hard - as in being able to climb the ladder more times or 2 guys doing the work of 3 - is not enough. That's the kind of 'work hard' that previous generations thought would be enough, and what I understood your post to mean. Brian - we don't sell from a website, nor are we one of the 'social media' companies you seem to be lumping us in. I personally travel to see clients to present our products, secure jobs and projects and we do follow up work where necessary. Everything we do is based on both relationships and versatility, and that takes work. We manufacture our products right here in Canada - we don't simply import and re-sell like a lot of companies, and that takes work too. I'm not here til 9pm most nights surfing facebook - I'm working. ...and despite my saying that we're having a good month with good prospects going forward, believe me, there isn't always "all that money coming in" and we had to lay off 3 FT people last year. The difference is that we're not going into this year doing the same thing and expecting different results - we're adapting to meet the changes needed by the market and I plan to hire those 3 people back (all of whom want to come back) and hire even more as the year progresses. There's no sitting around and waiting for things to happen. See that's what I meant, I was saying that you weren't a social media co. I knew you worked hard to build your biz. You did not just rely on electronic networking like some say is the way of the future. To me working hard includes answering emails quickly working late to finish quotes and doing all of the menial tasks that some seem to think is beneath them. That is where I think a lot of companies fail. I think you need to have a combination of both to be successful. We just started our business late in 2009 and bust our butts during the day in the field and do our e-mail, website & social media updates, etc., at night. My cell phone is on 24/7 for my clients and will do what it takes to get the job done. Keep in mind many potential small business owners have an 8 to 5 job and spend their evening at home doing research to start their business. Having a strong web presence that conveys your services and shows examples of your work for them to see while on their laptop in their pajamas helps. Online advertising and social media sites like Facebook and Twitter have also helped us get noticed, but it's still the hard work, knowledge and hustle that gets the job done.
  14. I can relate. It's frustrating to spend the time educating the customer about the quality products you use, the time and thought you've put into the job, prompt replies, etc., to see you lose the job to someone that is willing to use cheap vinyl, plex, l.e.d's and so on. I met with a potential client 2 weeks ago and when talking to her about the job and explaining the drawing, she said "I don't care". Those are the types of clients we don't want and the businesses that don't last.
  15. Unfortunately, some sign companies could care less about code or informing the customer accurately. They got the job and the money (I'm assuming they did), no there's no penalty for them. I also cringe at the owner's comments that he didn't know he needed permission and another biz up the street has two, bigger illuminated signs. It's your business and your a$$, so do a little research and take ownership!
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