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It was a surprise even to the Sign Biz home office team: The depth and breadth of national sign company relationships presented by panelists was extraordinary. Five presenters took center stage on April 27th at Planet Hollywood to provide a full spectrum of tools and empowering guidance for national installation work. This big general session closed a full day’s program, before the evening Gala at the Sign Biz 30th Anniversary Reunion Event.

Presenters were: Bill Jezek, Federal Heath; Bret Mileski, Ackland Media Frames (via video); Sign Biz Member Aaron Cradduck, Solano Signs; Megan Ritter, 3M; and Sign Biz Member Mike Trotter, Sign Magic.

First up was Bill Jezek of Federal Heath, a national sign company over 118 years and 688 employees strong. Following last year’s featured Vixxo and Cummings Signs, Jezek delivered not only the primary needs of Federal Heath for subcontractors, but also the paperwork in detail. The full Subcontractor package was included on attendee thumb drives as well. Jezek, a seasoned industry pro with over four decades of experience, provided a prized deep dive into the national sign company perspective.

From Sign Biz Members come priceless examples of their national sign company relationships and work. Aaron Cradduck, owner of Solano Signs and an experienced Sign Biz Member, shared four brilliant steps for gaining new national account relationships, one of which featured print advertising’s role. He also provided deep insight into how national sign company relationships are best managed and expanded.

Marshalls, Famous Footware, Courtyard by Marriott, CVS and Nike – these are just a few of the sign projects that Solano Signs won through national sign companies!

3M’s Megan Ritter impressed attendees with the new Graphics Install Wizard, a new hub for bidding and posting installation work. Ritter divulged that any sign professional or GC can use the portal, whether or not they are 3M Certified. 3M’s long tradition of support for sign industry constituents of all sizes and types makes them an annual favorite for this conference. The exciting new portal will give every Member the chance to bid for free, accept new installation jobs, or post for an installer for their own projects!

Ackland Installation
National, unbranded installation services were revealed by Bret Mileski, founder of Ackland Media Frames. His video captured attention and provided Sign Biz Members with a new resource for installations. Training is also provided by the on-site team.
Their Mission: To improve the economy; to make the world a more attractive place – and to help Sign Professionals succeed.

Wrapping up this power house line-up was Mike Trotter, co-owner of Sign Magic, a Sign Biz Member based in Arizona. He shared a list of two dozen national sign companies that his company does work for. The projects range from massive crane installations, to monument signs for new chain entities.

He impressed upon Members that the volume of work can be extensive, and the more agile a shop can be in response to a bid request, the more likely they will land the job. This echoed what Aaron Cradduck shared in his presentation.

Trotter won some smiles from Bill Jezek when he winked and suggested that Federal Heath should call him soon. We all got a kick out of the gentle ribbing Trotter bestowed on Jezek, as well as his remarks concerning the employee in the crane basket. Apparently he didn’t know he would be hoisted 100 feet into the air…

See the impressive breadth of national sign projects undertaken by Solano Signs and Sign Magic, among others. Full gallery here.

This education symposium distills pure knowledge and brings it to a series of carefully curated workshops and roundtable events. Sign Biz Members praise the intense training format, grateful to experience the ISA Sign Expo in all its glory, followed by pure education. The Sign Biz International Conference, dubbed “The Reunion” is an annual event, co-located with the International Sign Association Expo.