PD SIGNS & graphics, Inc. has been doing business since 1992. In 2004 we launched a new phase in our business plan. We began bidding as subcontractors on new construction and renovations. We knew that in order to successfully bid on jobs of that magnitude we would have to upgrade both our design studio and manufacturing facility. To that end, we have spent thousands of dollars in technology, equipment and Staffing. Our design team also logged countless hours in research and development, allowing us to offer Architects and GCs a cutting-edge product at a reasonable cost.
We are pleased to say that the result of all that hard work is paying off. In the past five years PD SIGNS & graphics has successfully completed over $225,000 worth of signage for 45 new construction and renovation projects alone. We have been blessed to be a part of the construction and renovation for Richardson, Garland, Carrollton, Corsicana Ennis, Irving, Celina, Burleson, Fort Worth, and Mabank Independent School Districts totaling well over $100,000,000.
R & D creates an edge
Two significant breakthroughs arose from the research and development of our design team:
- We have developed a cost-effective, high quality, durable, and Tamper-Proof tactile room-identifying plaque. We use the latest laser technology and high impact state-of-the-art materials. This product meets or exceeds the recommended specifications of the various Independent School Districts. Over three thousand plaques have been installed, field-tested and given the stamp of approval by architects, GCs and School board members as being Student-proof. Please call our Design Studio 972-768-0343 to see a sample of this product.
- The other breakthrough was in the design and manufacturing of post and panel signs.The Challenge has been to produce a post and panel sign that is both aesthetic, durable, and cost effective. In the past, producing a clean, durable and visually appealing post and panel sign presented the architect with two options:
UGLY or EXPENSIVE……Pick one!
Using steel tubing was the most cost effective, because it was bendable but lacked the sharpness of perfectly square corners and edges that aluminum offered. Steel also presented two other problems: excessive weight (which drove up the delivery and installation cost) and the chance for rusting. While architectural elements can be fashioned out of aluminum, the process is much more costly and time consuming. We have yet to find a way to significantly reduce THIS cost. However, we have made a fantastic breakthrough in the assembly and panel mounting process. Until now the only way to achieve the desired look of clean architectural lines, free from obtrusive mounting hardware was to weld the panels to the frame. The only way to do this without warping the panel (due to the heat) was to use an inordinately thick (and expensive) panel. Then the welds had to be ground down for a smooth appearance.The other process was to “tack-weld” the panel to the frame. This process provided little structural support. Both methods, however, presented a common problem. The separate components must “breathe” (expand and contract) with the changes in temperature. This problem is especially magnified in Texas where these poor signs must endure blast-furnace summers, where nothing but dust survives, followed by dinosaur-killing winters. In this harsh environment the panels would bow and the integrity of the welds would eventually fail.
Creativity… a vastly untapped resource
The design team at PD SIGNS & graphics, Inc. has developed a method for assembling the sign panel to the frame which meets the requirements of both Architectural visual appeal (meaning NO MOUNTING HARDWARE SHOWING) and structural durability (meaning the panels are solidly entrenched in the frame system but are able to expand and contract without bowing or breaking.)
Now, here is the good news: The process is so simple and cost effective that we are able to manufacture the signs out of aluminum and use a powder coating which provides a much harder surface than enamel paint while still maintaining the overall cost of each unit.
Please call our Design Studio 973-768-0343 to see a sample of this product.
