Sign companies look for an edge

CEDAR RAPIDS - Chances are you've read the scrolling jokes on the large electronic sign at Nesper Sign Advertising Inc. headquarters as you drive along Interstate 380.

The company, which has been around for 90 years, makes products that include 'vinyl graphics that go on a mailbox to large outdoor signs,” Nesper President Phil Garland said. 'We do the little stuff, too, such as door plaques.”

Garland said Nesper also makes flags and flag poles and creates neon signs in house. Electric signs make up half of its business, Garland said.

'People think we just use our cranes to put up these big signs that are shipped in. But we produce everything right here,” said Garland, who has owned the business with his wife, Donna, since 1990.

Today Nesper has 22 employees, many of whom have worked for the company for several decades.

'This is an industry that changes every 10 years,” he said.

'Those constant changes keep us looking for that edge to differentiate us. And we are constantly sending people out to trainings. It makes it a little demanding, but it also makes it fun.”

Garland said that Nesper has turned its attention to automation for production, for example.

'Years ago, everything on a vinyl sign would be cut out by hand or signs would be hand painted. Now we are 100 percent digitally printed. We've invested a huge amount in technology,” he said.

LED lighting is another trend for electronic signs that Nesper has taken up.

'The cost has gone way down on those, and the energy efficiency has been a huge push,” Garland said.

When Signs Etc. opened in Cedar Rapids in 1990, owner David Kaplan can recall offering a mere 15 different type styles.

'Now we have 8,000 and counting,” he said.

Today, Signs Etc. stays busy with a staff of two to three employees to produce signs - metal, plastic and composite - vehicle lettering, banners, site signs, trade show displays and more, Kaplan said.

'Banners are about 40 percent of our business,” he said. 'Vehicle lettering and wraps make up about 35 percent and then magnetics, window lettering, yard signs, etc., make up the rest.”

Having access to a skilled work force is a growing concern for sign production companies, Garland and Kaplan said.

'We have seen constant growth over the last five years and are looking to expand,” Garland said. 'But there is a shortage of welders and electricians. While it's great our work force has been with us for a long time, we are looking to bring in new people to grow with us, but we can't find the right personnel.”

Kaplan agreed that labor is one of the biggest challenges he faces as a business owner.

'I go to sign conventions every year and talk to friends in the industry from around the country who all agree finding dedicated and educated labor is the biggest problem,” he said.

Kaplan noted that temporary employees aren't an option during busy seasons as there is so much technical skill that goes into operating their equipment.

'Most people underestimate how complex the work is,” Garland agreed. 'Working with electronic graphics requires pretty sophisticated equipment and knowledge.”

Aaron Vosmek, CEO of CR Signs Inc., which opened two years ago in Cedar Rapids, added that, 'You rarely see the same thing twice in this business. Every installation and every design is unique.

'I think this is also what makes what we do exciting because every day we have new challenges. But often even the smallest sign projects take just as much detail and communication as some of the larger projects.”

Those details are important, especially when dealing with local, state and federal regulations. For example, companies working on roadways need to comply with federal and state regulations on shutting down roads or redirecting traffic.