Snoochie
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Posts posted by Snoochie
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Professionalism to the max !
I would expect nothing less from you.................
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This brings to mind a saying that the Economist Milton Friedman once uttered. "Every company loves competition, except in the industry they happen to be in".
Competition, not monopoly builds a better mousetrap.......................
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I wish everyone on here a very Merry Christmas and a safe New Year. Remember the sign business is great but family should always come first!
Chubby;
From here in California to there in Indiana, have a Merry Christmas to you and your family.
The same goes out to all the other fine folks on this board, no matter where you reside......................
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Tough crowd in here...LOL..BTW, ROTFLMAO, YOLO, R2D2 C3PO PS3....
Mark;
My personal favorite has always been SNAFU...............
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Erik;
You are both a talented as well as extremely lucky fella.
I have seen your work up close and can report that you are an Artisan. Your integrity at The Sign Syndicate is a beacon of light in our industry during a time when it seems darkness abounds.
You are extremely lucky to be married to such a brutally honest and passionate woman like K Girl. Viewing the attached video link, I could feel the honest and raw emotion way over here in the OC.
To both you and K Girl, keep telling it like it is and never back down.........
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P.S. ; I can't wait to see K Girl broadcast as a Platinum Blonde.....................
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Action National
Entera
Fairmont
Regency
Icon
Sign Depot
Nationwide Sign Service & Repair
Atlas Sign Industries
Archer Signs
Loren Electric
The list continues to grow and grow.........
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Action is for sure # 1... Then Facility Maintenance!!! Theifs!
Dana;
Just out of curiosity, what exactly did you do for FM Maintenance that incurred an $8200.00 bill? Was it a single job or a string of service calls that you performed? Also, have you tried involving the End Customer whose facility or facilities you worked at?
I have collection experience with FM for a fellow contractor as I previously have posted and to be perfectly honest, it was my contractor friend who just couldn't roll with the whole FM experience including the website, check in check out, not to exceeds, change orders, etc. I did mange to collect every cent that was owed but it was a struggle. Unfortunately I had to make the end customer aware of the situation, but I did collect. And in the end, my contractor friend still maintains a relationship with FM and does actually get paid after I set up a system for his employees to navigate the world of FM Maintenance.
Hopefully you can resolve your issues.
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"That aside, I'm not so sure it's a good thing to NOT have VN's."
"There are a lot of companies that produce crap, a lot by some of the biggest companies out there whom you would think would build a quality product. Maybe they did 15 years ago but standards have fallen short. It's not a BIG surprise that most signs listed in our "Hall of Shame" forum have UL labels on them. Just today I was doing a service job and the channel letters had UL labels on them, there is no way this sign would have passed a UL field inspection. No drainage, no caulking, no clearance for a power supply in a wet location raceway, etc etc."
"Our sign industry produces a lot of crap, signs where a lot of corners have been cut, and this industry is being cheapened....so I'm not sure this is good idea other than it might help keep a few clients around from going to greener pastures....or not. I'm sure UL will be making it up somewhere, probably in more required programs. You know how "Non-Profits" like their "Programs".
Erik;
I have been providing electrical service to some National sign companies for locations here in California. While I have moved away from the actual sign installation portion, I still have a strong background in signage and can tell you that you are correct. Some of the work I have seen is so unprofessional that i am amazed on a daily basis. The quality of the sign produced is not what I have been used to in the past and more important, the installation is done by what I can only describe as being installed by a series of Hacks. But the price of the sign might possibly be low, along with the installation, so I assume the system plods along as this incorrect path.
And yes, the signs were produced with a UL listing on them and I am sure the installer has a license. I have a slew of digital photos that I have taken and I archive them in case a lawsuit crops up in the future or when I need a good laugh on a gloomy day. I woner how effective any inspections really are if the type of garbage that I have seen exists in the marketplace. One day I am going to post the photos I have accumulated and some folks who have provided signage will not be too proud of the finished product that exists in the field and bears their name.
I agree with you on another thing, no entity such as UL drops a fee because they suddenly had an urge to become a knight in shining armour. They probably are being bit by economic considerations that are at work in our economy at large and affects all of us.
But be that as it may, I hope the Sign Syndicate keeps telling it like it is, no matter who gets their feathers ruffled.
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Sweet truck !
But I think it could use maybe ten or twenty more marker lights..............
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With the risk of becoming a Villain, I would still suggest that even after what has been reported on this site and others, there will be resident contractors on this venue who will still take work from these folks because "it is good fill in work" or "I have always been ultimately paid in the past", will get banged and then scream like a scalded dog when it happens.
Action, along with others on "The Hall of Shame" have figured this out and use it to their advantage.
Again, a sad testimonial.........
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Mark,
I have a competitior who used to approach customers we both were bidding and tell them to let me quote and design the sign. He then told the customer to give him my sketch and quote and he would take 10% off in order to win their business (he would then tweek the design to make it "his"). I know it worked some of the time but it also backfired on him too. I talked to some of my buddies who work in other trades and it seems every industry has their weasels. It just seems to me we have more then our share in the sign business.
Good Lord. Just when you think you have heard the lowest you hear something like this. How do people like that sleep at night??
Angie;
Just like the resident thieves in "The Hall of Shame" , they probably sleep very very well at night. A sad testimonial...........
But like Mark states, keep your dignity and honor no matter what the lowest of the lows do in our trade.
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My vote would be checked next to the "Asshole" box.............
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I guess that contrary to popular opinion, crime does indeed pay.
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I got my bills for my property taxes yesterday. Those came about a month early this year. Too bad there is no discount for early payment.
Mark;
Try the technique that the Deadbeat Nationals use. Just pay them late and refuse to pay any late fees. Or tell them that you need further documentation to process the check. Or even better, just refuse to pay, period. See how long that works in the real world.
Isn't it funny that you provide all the blood, sweat and tears to make a living with your business and you have a partner that is always there when you make a profit but runs when you hit a rough patch. Oh wait, even during the rough times, they still want their cut.
But like i always say, it is what it is and i don't have an answer. I would like to change it and have tried, i guess I just don't know the proper way. But I will never give up on the fight and keep pluggin along..........
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1. The government is back open and our world has not ended.
2. Obamacare is still law and our world has not ended.
Again, will it end soon? Who knows. I still highly suggest that all Americans roll with it and keep plugging along. I know I have been and will continue to. I don't know what else to do...............
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That a fair amount of employees who represent National sign companies are signing up as members on this venue called the Sign Syndicate. Blair, Tube Art, Jones, Coast, Cummings, AGI just to name a few. I am sure many others are "Lurking". Either way, they are taking notice.........
No matter if I am meeting with a fellow contractor or a major business, I always mention this board and tell them it is a worthwhile endeavor to be a part of this site. I also tell them to look at the National Sign Company Review that many other members who reside here have made comment about and see if any of the accolades or offenses have been heard by them anytime in the past. I pound this message to all who will listen. I especially tell them to look at the Deadbeat list that I feel so passionate about..
I hope to see the member list grow and grow on this site to help keep everyone in this industry honest, both subs and nationals. Remember one catch phrase at the top of this board, "Integrity".
Keep telling it like it is Erik.
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These "Stinkers" are still out there, still slow paying and still will not address their ways to either dispute or refute some claims made against them.
Silence is always taken for consent..................
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1. The government is shut down and our world has not ended.
2. Obamacare is now law and steaming forward and our world has not ended.
Will it end soon, who knows? Roll with it and keep plugging along.
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Up here in the LA area doing sales and making deliveries and caught this. Too cool Reyner Sign & Crane!!!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free
I know these guys and have worked with them on many jobs for some select nationals. This is a first class company with a great owner and fantastic employees. The state of their equipment is indicative of the kind of work they perform...............
Just looking at Paul's Signs trucks lets me know his operation is First Class as well.
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That's because what your missing is the great sales skeeelz that they probably have. THAT you HAVE to admire!!!! I'm sure whoever the installers are they will be Pre-Paid!!!
Good sales pitch.................most likely gave a very cheap bid and the fact that they have a low cost. They Will get installers,(maybe some on this very board) and will pay them cheaply,very slowly, if at all and make some good scratch all the while.
Just goes to show that it is not what you do, but how you do it.
The infamous Bernie Madoff is currently sitting in the Federal Penn for similar tactics, but he had a fantastic run. Apparently, Action is a member of his club................
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It's too early for me to make a judgement about Obamacare. It may be making things worse. But the status quo before it wasn't looking so good either. My insurance has been going up ~20 percent/yr for the past 10-15 years. 2012 was an exception where it was only 5 percent. Now it's back to the same. You can usually get it knocked back down if you agree to be re-underwrited.
I know this is a great country to be in if you need a specialist for a specific condition (pancreatic cancer, etc.). But for the bulk of health care 95% of us use (checkups, broken arms, MRI's, etc.) it's a very expensive place to get sick. Home of the $5000 sprained ankle.
John;
Couldn't agree with you more.
The Health Insurance train wreck has been steaming down the track long before "The Affordable Health Care Act" or "Obamacare" came along. Health Care is currently some 16% of our GDP and is growing at an alarming pace. I think healthcare is becoming the 800 Lb. Gorilla in the room. The price increases were coming no matter if it had been President McCain, Romney or Obama. Health insurance is business and the function of any business is to generate as much revenue possible all the while spending as little as possible. That is called profit and that is what drives all for profit businesses.
While I can't understand the intricacies of our new health insurance system, I do not like being told that I have to buy something against my free choice, especially when I personally believe costs are going to skyrocket even further due to our new government mandate.
But, if anybody thinks that health insurance companies aren't licking their collective chops at getting a captive consumer, guess again. They don't lobby for nothing and they always make sure they get a good return on any politician they buy. Best investment any industry can make. And lest anyone forget, Justice John Roberts (Conservative) said forcing health insurance down our collective throats is perfectly constitutional. I guess it even pays to buy a Supreme Court Justice.
But, Obamacare is law so try to navigate as painless as possible, if there is something labeled as painless when it relates to our health insurance system.
And for the record, I know of a gentleman personally who works construction, got head injuries at home, spent a little over a week in the hospital, both in the intensive and general care. 3 Cat Scans and other tests and procedures later, he walked with a nearly $25,000.00 bill. Of course he couldn't pay it and told the hospital so. No insurance! You can't get blood out of a stone and the hospital couldn't refuse service in the first place, so the costs are passed along to both the State and other insured around the nation. And then we wonder why costs are spiraling out of control?
I don't have the answer, but I believe that Obamacare isn't it but it is the law and is now another hurdle I have to jump over, just like the rest on this board.
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One of our installers smokes, but since the other installer does not, the smoker doesn't smoke around him. Now the cell phone thing - that drives me crazy. We provide cell phones for our installers, and they don't abuse it too much. If you have a no personal calls/texts/emails rule at work, how do you enforce it? In the shop it's easy, but when they are out on the road/at a job site....
Unfortunately, I think the "Texting" driver is starting to become more dangerous than the "Drunk" driver and only getting worse..........
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I'll give my two cents.
I don't smoke, never have and never will. I really don't like to be around cigarettes because the smell usually sticks to your clothes and your body. I especially do not like smoke while driving in a service truck. My lungs tend to not like it.
However, having said that, I will die defending your right to smoke, even though it is offensive to me.
For the record, I hate when a technician eats sunflower seeds and gets the shells all over the truck and the jobsite. But again, freedom is a special thing.
If you are an owner or a fellow tech and the smoking gets to you, talk and work it out with the smoker. I find it usually can be worked out in a sensible and cordial manner. The same goes for the sunflower seeds or whatever point of contention arises. Just my opinion......................
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I think that Rich Gottwald mistook Passion and a yearning for a high level of Professionalism in an industry that Erik loves, for a Caustic or Vitriolic attack on him personally. But that was not the case in my opinion. I think Erik was simply lamenting about that which is lacking in the industry that we all want to see vibrant, now and in the years to come.
Is it too much to ask that if you represent the sign industry, you should have a background in the sign industry? I think not.
If you represent a veterans association should you not be a veteran? How about law enforcement or governors association, shouldn't you have a background there as well? I think so.
Today the Lift Gate industry, tomorrow the Tire industry, followed up by the Plastic industry, even further by the Sign industry and ultimately landing in the Spa industry.
Like I have posted Ad Nauseum on this board, the saying goes, "I'm not giving em Hell, I just telling the truth and they think it's Hell".
Keep giving em Hell Erik...........
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"I can say for a fact though that non-UL shops are pulling permits. "
Only if those shops are sending "Hot" female permit runners and they ask for Mayor Filner to process those permits personally.............
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Hiring Project Managers - National Sign Company
in Employment Job Listings
Posted
Mark;
Can I assume this position is based in Grapevine, Texas ?
Some of the Project Managers that I work with at some other nationals are spread out around the country. I recently provided electrical service for a company headquartered in California for a job in L.A. (Los Angeles), for a Project Manager based in the deep south who worked for the national in So Cal. Just curious.
But, best of luck in your search.................