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Trying to end The Sign Syndicate


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Thought I'd mention something, and I will discuss it a little bit more over the weekend about it if I get the time. But there is an element and it's becoming more and more of a group effort to tear down The Sign Syndicate and rid it off the industry by means of hurting those that support this site because they fear the open honest discussion that happens here.

It's a three headed monster composed of a particular large sign supplier, various association member volunteers, & just a couple of large national sign companies. They all have one thing in common.

They're having financial difficulties and or, they can't pay their bills.

So they want me to seize as their competitor, and political opponent. Most importantly....to shut YOU up about exposing the truth about them as companies who can't pay their subcontractors, which is illegal in most states.

MOST national sign companies LOVE to read their reviews and love the info on this site, they see it as a good tool & I hear it all the time from them directly.

I don't know how long this effort has been going on for, but in the last year I've heard it from a few manufacturers and large national sign companies who know and appreciate the importance of what goes on here. Small occurrences and crazy rumors have been around for some time especially since we started doing the Neon & LED testing in 2008, those were started by a few LED manufacturers who did not care for someone testing their products but this is something new.

If what I'm being told is true, consultant(s) have been hired to figure out a strategy to deal with this "aggressor". No joke.

Most good movements are taken down by a small minority who have the ear and eventually wear down those who once had courage to stand up and never compromise on their principals and convictions.

Let me assure you, that won't happen here to this site or to me as your administrator. I can't be bought, I can't be hurt financially, nor will I look to ever take an "easier path".

For those of YOU who are looking to have this site in some way financially hurt by attacking/hurting those that support this site I want you to know that it's not possible in the end of your effort, and light will be shown on you, I promise you that. So I hope you can take that when that time comes, every action has a reaction.

The bottom line fact is the sign industry is my first love, not this site.

Those that make up the real sign industry who carry/pass on tradition, run a business with character & integrity will not be silenced, nor will I stand by and let/watch it happen.

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You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life. - Winston Churchill

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Thank you my captain my captain!

You can't see me but I am standing on my desk

Edited by chubbygumby
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Installation & Maintenance Services

Brian Phillips | expresssignandneon@sbcglobal.net | P. 812-882-3278

Express Sign & Neon | 119 S. 15th Street - Vincennes - IN 47591

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Erik;

I told you that many entities are watching this site because you are like a Ray of Sunshine to the industry. And you know what they say about Sunshine............it is the best disinfectant.

I always mention The Syndicate to customers and fellow contractors. Heck, I even mention this site to contractors who are in other venues because some of the same NSP's not only handle electrical, lighting and signage, but they cut across different trades. It doesn't matter if you are a Sign Contractor or HVAC contractor, you need to know who those Predators are who will potentially make your life miserable.

If you think that you are are safe and lucky because your house was not burglarized last night, your home might just be next. Vigilance is the order of the day.

Erik, not only are you a great Sign Man who puts out quality products, you are a Firebrand in the industry. You are providing many contractors an invaluable service which is greatly appreciated.

Consider me on your "Team". I will stand by you, shoulder to shoulder, no matter the adversary.... no matter the odds.

Best

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"Don't be afraid to see what you see" - President Ronald Reagan

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"Fuck Em"... What can they really do? Band together and scold you? Can they come after members who are posting in real time about bad payer's? They can try, won't go anywhere...

The fact of the matter is the majority of us, if not all. Run our business' with honor and pride. Which translates to paying our bills on time. Supplying the customer with the products we quoted them. Fabricating the jobs as specified. And servicing all of our customers to the best of our abilities.

Are the bad payer's going to blackball all of us that have outed them? It would be redundant, since we no longer do work for them. These bad payer's are probably starting to feel the pinch. They're not getting the quality sub's they were once used to. Who knows, but if they're pissed at this site. You know this network of subs has banded together. And told them, No thanks, and No more. It's an easy fix for the bad payer's. Step up, come on this site. Apologize for mistreating their subs. Start paying deposits, and paying balances per the agreed contractual terms. This site isn't telling them how to run their business'. It's just promoting the good nationals. And pointing out the bad nationals to partner with.

As far as your supply business goes. The other suppliers might want to spend more time developing or expanding their accounts. Getting the "big shops" to pay them on time. And quit worrying about another qualified competitor.

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Anyone that would try to strong arm you or me, because of our participation on SS, is probably someone we don't want to do business with anyway. Net Gain!

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Oh lord. Tell us which distributor and I promise we will never make a purchase with them again. See how they like them apples, haha.

Or are they on the east coast?

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Yea hell you might as well or as we in the midwest say "midaswell" tell us who it is.

Installation & Maintenance Services

Brian Phillips | expresssignandneon@sbcglobal.net | P. 812-882-3278

Express Sign & Neon | 119 S. 15th Street - Vincennes - IN 47591

express%20neon%20sig.jpg

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Oh lord. Tell us which distributor and I promise we will never make a purchase with them again. See how they like them apples, haha.

Or are they on the east coast?

Yea hell you might as well or as we in the midwest say "midaswell" tell us who it is.

That day just may come at the result of their persistence. But ISA is around the corner, funny that....sure would make for good conversation over a beverage or two? Maybe I need to crash a party with my newly designed shirt.

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You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life. - Winston Churchill

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I totally agree with ALLTEX's Statement. I have been there, done that and passed all the same shit ( road blocks ) on the way. The closed door behind the curtains mentality is now in full view to all. There are no more demands by the Nationals to play by their rules only. We have a choice and we now make our own policies.

True facts..........The Nationals are only as good as their subs. The subs control the nationals accounts. PAY the subs on time. Everyone benifits

The Nationals have taken notice to this site and some have changed their ways of doing business,

The subs are learning how the Nationals operate and we can make our own choices if we want to work with them

If everyone of us stopped ordering supplies from our regular supplier for 1 or 2 weeks only. They would shit themselves and come back with a

completley new approach and pricing. And watch the other suppliers jump up and want a peice of the action too.

The same goes for the Trade shows, Organizations and Magazines

KEEP IT UP ERIC Keep pulling at the curtains and exposing the truth. We all have benifited from this site and made progress, friends and partners

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Been super busy lately, actually swamped for the next 5 weeks booked. That distributor wouldn't happen to be the one who likes to have product drop shipped in so they can tack on to the shipping for even more profit?.

IMHO Erik's syndicate is the most valuable asset on the web for the industry. The people who do not want this around are afraid. I do not understand why. the people who contribute are only trying to improve the work of others, the lurkers are the ones that are to proud to admit they need help or stuck in the mindset that they do not want to help anyone out cause they know it all ( i have met both types and dealt with them).

I have been a part of this site since the beginning and it is not going anywhere.

My suggestion is that the main sign organization step up to the plate and offer Erik a chance and see what he can do and bring it back to the way it was when the core of its purpose was to teach and have legitimate professionals offer advice and present seminars on an unbiased or even a item specific biased topics, or even a network of professionals that is not based on how much money is contributed.

If a step like that is not something they would do maybe use one of it's offspring CSA to do it. if it works then go further if it doesnt no harm done they go back to the way they are now.

just my .02

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GOOD things happen for a reason......

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Ditto, all the sentiments expressed above. I am tired of writing off bad debt to worthless national companies. When someone we have not worked with sends a project, the first two things I do is run a credit check and log into SS to see if anyone has posted their experience. If it becomes public knowledge that there are a group of nationals and vendors banding to try and shut this site down I will do everything I can to not purchase materials, or accept further work from the guilty parties ( if we are still doing business with them ....). Keep up the good work. It is nice to have a resource that is not censored like the trade rags or controlled by ISA.

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I'm on your bandwagon! If we stick together there is nothing we can't do. I like the "shining of the light" on them, I'm on the East coast, so we have it all covered. We can use our buying power to make changes, like it was said, stop buying from then and they will change thier tune pretty fast.....

On a side note, I've been pretty slow here and making things on spec, so I stopped by a "Big Boy" company that I used to bend for when they had overflow etc. They told me they ONLY use led now, and don't have a neon department anymore and just let another shop handle the little bit of repair work they get......They told me "Neon is dead." I told them, well, it is slolwer than before, but it will never die. LED cannot do waht neon does. Maybe you should check out the Sign Syndicate's web site to get the real comparisons of neon vs. led in real world situations........

Always trying to educate.

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I for one use this site pretty much every day. There are days that I am too busy to sign on to see what is going on, but I use SS as one of my main tools for doing business now!! If I get someone that calls and wants something done yesterday that I haven't done business with before (that always sends up a red flag with me anyway) the very FIRST thing I do is get on here and look to see if there is anything posted about them. If there isn't anything already posted I always ask you guys, who I consider my friends, what experiences you have had with said company before I even give them a second look or an answer. Believe me, it has saved me grief MANY times. So, Erik and Kgirl, thank you both for ALL that you guys do for not only those of us that use this site, but for what you have done and continue to do for our industry that we all love so much!! We will stand with you against those forces!!!!

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Thank you all for the support, those who have posted here, those who have called me, and to those who have emailed me.

We're not going anywhere.

It's flattering to know we rent space in a lot of people heads, from the large sign supplier who are trying to continue their old ways of muscling manufacturers, to the couple of nationals that can't pay their bills, are the lowest bidder on large projects, build complete cheap low-budget products to the customer with a result that shines a bad light on the rest of us, use their current deposit money to pay for projects that were signed months and months ago. This is the reason they are only willing to pay a small survey fee that you can't cover, don't want to pay your fuel, drag out your payments for over 6 months (because their waiting for the next deposit check).

I was going to write something longer over this past weekend, but honestly I don't have the time or energy, I have way more many productive things to do with my time. It's just humorous if anyone really thinks about it, and for the sign supplier, it would be embarrassing if it were made public.

To the few select sign association volunteers whom serve as chairs and subcommittee's who try to manipulate and bend the will of manufacturers at your National Sign & Distributors conferences or Member reunion parties by mis-characterizing The Sign Syndicate. You need to spend more time and concentrate in the areas of your own company instead of wasting time playing golf and using your position of privilege to do nothing more than feed your own ego and "do nothing" to pay your own bills and keep current with your own subcontractors whom you use illegally as your own line of personal credit.

To those companies, component manufacturers or sign distributors who have been threatened in some way by your affiliation, membership, or participation with us here on the Sign Syndicate just know this.

Their scared

Their desperate

Their losing

Their trying to manipulate you by mis-characterizing The Sign Syndicate as a negative site because they prefer to have things as they always were, THEIR way.

There is a reason why right under our Logo it says "Integrity, Strength, Tradition". It's to remind those who have lost their way, remind those where they/we came from, remind those that without the three this industry has nothing.

Don't let them bend you, all you will do is give them more power over you.

......Besides, they don't have the money to buy you, they can't even pay their own bills....or pay for the supplies they have on their multiple open invoices....

Nonetheless, I'm flattered to know I'm doing SOMETHING right....and obviously those that participate...so are YOU!

You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life. - Winston Churchill

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:PutEmUp:As a first generation newcomer to this game.... your site has been a god send! Keep it up!! Just ask here for anything you need and we can make it happen!

Maybe a "Hundred Truck" crawl to Washington DC? :welding:

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