SouthernSigns
New Member
Hello!
We are new members here on the forum. Our company, Southern Signs and Design, is also new in the Houston Texas market area.
I say "we" because my wife owns the company and I run everything!! Together we have over 25 years of combined experience in the sign industry. Most of that experience is mine having experience in all phases of sign manufacturing, installations, design, sales, etc. I started my sign career as a production helper working in a vinyl application shop weeding, masking and applying vinyl to banners and smaller signs. I soon found myself working in a fabrication shop building channel letters, cabinets, monuments and other large format, commercial, electrical and neon signs. I spent nearly 12 years as an electrical and neon sign fabricator and became well known as one of the best channel letter builders in the area. My skill level became first class in terms of fabrication of electric signage and the demand for my skill level increased significantly and I soon realized I could essentially pick and choose who I worked for. I stayed with the same small company who gave me my first opportunity in the industry, yet I also subbed myself out to a few other companies on a part time, contract basis.
One thing I learned over the years in this industry among different manufacturers was the extreme difference in a "quality" driven product. I was always taught and groomed to have a primary focus on creating a "quality" product. You can put all of the good, quality materials or ingredients into a product that you want, but without having a quality minded focus on the end product, you wont get a quality product in the end. I became somewhat jaded in the fact that there were so many companies offering the same products but I noticed the comparisons were varied in terms of quality. I was amazed sometimes at how much a customer would spend for a product knowing that they were going to end up with a sub-standard product in the end. Even more, I was disgusted by the fact that many companies and individuals in this industry were charging customers so much money for a product knowing that their quality levels were all superficial. Ive seen sets of channel letters sell for $2500.00, and within a year or two, the customer is spending money on a regular basis for someone to come out and repair, maintain and in many cases, rebuild their signs.
Last year I finally decided that in order for me to continue in this industry on my own that I needed to find a niche market and offer something that very few, if any, other sign companies could offer. I did not want to join the ranks of all the fly by night shops that have popped up on every corner in the city. I don't want to be a "fast" sign shop either.
I have modeled my business with a philosophy of quality first. Period. Our focus will always be on a quality product and our customers will know this from day one. Quality can take time to achieve in some cases. We will not rush a job and we will not accept any job that will require us to take short cuts.
We are a custom maker of wood, carved signs, plaques and other custom wood carved items. While we will consider other types of sign jobs, our primary products are wood, carved signs. We are on board with new CNC technologies and 3D technologies. Our design methods are very specialized and proprietary for the most part. We are always interested in networking with other sign companies, designers and end users.
Thank you all who read this introduction!! If we can answer any questions for you or be any help to you, feel free to contact us at any time!!
We are new members here on the forum. Our company, Southern Signs and Design, is also new in the Houston Texas market area.
I say "we" because my wife owns the company and I run everything!! Together we have over 25 years of combined experience in the sign industry. Most of that experience is mine having experience in all phases of sign manufacturing, installations, design, sales, etc. I started my sign career as a production helper working in a vinyl application shop weeding, masking and applying vinyl to banners and smaller signs. I soon found myself working in a fabrication shop building channel letters, cabinets, monuments and other large format, commercial, electrical and neon signs. I spent nearly 12 years as an electrical and neon sign fabricator and became well known as one of the best channel letter builders in the area. My skill level became first class in terms of fabrication of electric signage and the demand for my skill level increased significantly and I soon realized I could essentially pick and choose who I worked for. I stayed with the same small company who gave me my first opportunity in the industry, yet I also subbed myself out to a few other companies on a part time, contract basis.
One thing I learned over the years in this industry among different manufacturers was the extreme difference in a "quality" driven product. I was always taught and groomed to have a primary focus on creating a "quality" product. You can put all of the good, quality materials or ingredients into a product that you want, but without having a quality minded focus on the end product, you wont get a quality product in the end. I became somewhat jaded in the fact that there were so many companies offering the same products but I noticed the comparisons were varied in terms of quality. I was amazed sometimes at how much a customer would spend for a product knowing that they were going to end up with a sub-standard product in the end. Even more, I was disgusted by the fact that many companies and individuals in this industry were charging customers so much money for a product knowing that their quality levels were all superficial. Ive seen sets of channel letters sell for $2500.00, and within a year or two, the customer is spending money on a regular basis for someone to come out and repair, maintain and in many cases, rebuild their signs.
Last year I finally decided that in order for me to continue in this industry on my own that I needed to find a niche market and offer something that very few, if any, other sign companies could offer. I did not want to join the ranks of all the fly by night shops that have popped up on every corner in the city. I don't want to be a "fast" sign shop either.
I have modeled my business with a philosophy of quality first. Period. Our focus will always be on a quality product and our customers will know this from day one. Quality can take time to achieve in some cases. We will not rush a job and we will not accept any job that will require us to take short cuts.
We are a custom maker of wood, carved signs, plaques and other custom wood carved items. While we will consider other types of sign jobs, our primary products are wood, carved signs. We are on board with new CNC technologies and 3D technologies. Our design methods are very specialized and proprietary for the most part. We are always interested in networking with other sign companies, designers and end users.
Thank you all who read this introduction!! If we can answer any questions for you or be any help to you, feel free to contact us at any time!!
