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Inside Metro Signs – Jamie Potvin, Designer

For Jamie Potvin, the process starts when information about a new project begins to trickle in through one of the sales team members. Over the next days and weeks, she steeps herself in the client’s history and strategy, various signage suggestions, client and team requests, and specific requirements, as well as any graphic elements such as client logos that are already available. She also likes to look at comparable signage of the same size and classifications that’s already “out there” in the community. Then she dives into the design process. With more than fifteen years of experience, Jamie likes to start a project by working on some “looks”: rough sketches and simplified renderings of the new sign’s essentials. She’s usually

To most of us, beautiful designs just spring full blown from nowhere in particular. But in reality, the polished look of all the objects we see – complete with all the associations each one brings to mind and the various messages and feelings each one conveys – are the result of much hard work by a visually-gifted group of people who work as “designers”. Metro Sign and Awning is well staffed with a group of designers who routinely make clients’ visions come to life in three dimensions. One of these is Susan MacGregor, Senior Designer, who is responsible for creating the drawings that will later be turned into signs, as well as for the presentation visuals shown to clients for

Cabinet maker, sign maker, account manager. Mark Vella is a “hands-on” kind of guy who very much enjoys working with Metro Sign and Awning’s customers, finding out what each one needs in the way of signage, and helping to deliver it. After a varied career first working with wood, then later with signage materials, Mark found his way to Metro Sign and learned his true calling: making contact and working with contractors, architects, building owners, and just about anyone who has a message to communicate and needs Metro Sign to give it solidity and dimension. Mark keeps his ear to the ground, searching out potential projects via a wide variety of industry channels. He also actively develops relationships through which

Anyone watching NECN, New England Cable News, on January 16, 2014, probably saw its featured story on the Boston metropolitan area’s future growth. Specifically, the cable news channel covered a Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) report on demographic and economic trends, which calculates the need for some 435,000 new housing units – including affordable apartments, single family homes, condos, townhouses, and even something called “micro units” – by 2040 if our region is going to sustain the record of strong economic and civic expansion we’ve establishing during the past couple of decades. Even if we fall short of “strong” economic growth, we’ll apparently still need some 300,000 additional housing units. Various experts and officials spoke about the need for additional

What a great year! Despite all the turmoil and difficulties for Boston, the northeastern U.S., and the world at large, we at Metro Sign and Awning have enjoyed the opportunity to meet the year’s challenges, to grow, to serve, and to do our bit to make the world a better place. Some of our more exciting and successful 2013 projects include: The Forum Restaurant: After the horrific events of Marathon Monday and the destruction that took place outside one of our valued customers, we did our small part to help them rebuild. Working with Boston Nightlight Ventures and the Back Bay Architectural Commission we put together a plan to reinvigorate the remodeled restaurant that included new awnings and face lit

Signage Scam Stresses Small Business Owner If you can’t trust your sign-maker, who can you trust? That’s what Shay Kindle, owner of a do-it-yourself workshop in Lubbock, TX, is wondering after a run-in with a sales rep who scammed her, big time, on what should have been a simple, affordable, and effective signage project. In May, 2013, Shay found herself targeted by local representatives of Signtronix, a national company. The smooth-talking sales rep proposed to fabricate and install an electronic sign to promote her business, Pinspired, which is conveniently located on a high-traffic corner lot. Intrigued, Ms. Kindle listened carefully while the shady operator waxed poetic about how Signtronix wanted her business so bad it would discount the cost of

Metro Sign and Awning is immensely proud and honored that we were selected to partner with general contractor Spanish Springs Construction to provide all the wayfinding signs at the completely refurbished Bourne National Cemetery on Cape Cod. Bourne National Cemetery is one of only 122 official interment sites for our nation’s brave veterans. For most people visiting a national cemetery – understandably coping with a powerful mixture of pride, grief and distress – it can be difficult to keep your wits about you. That’s why the wayfinding signs must be extremely clear, concise, unmistakable, and – when they’re subject to the harsh weather that is so typical in New England – durable. Accordingly, we pulled out all the stops for

We are excited to announce that Simon Properties awarded Metro Sign & Awning the Design/Build contract for all new signage at Auburn Mall in Auburn, Massachusetts. From Pylon Signs to Main Entrance Identification … Our creative team is already thinking about the best way to guide visitors from the surrounding streets and thoroughfares, into and around the parking lot, and all over the mall. The package includes parking lot directional signage and traffic guidance, the mall’s main entrance identification signage – also known as the “big” pylon signs and exterior wayfinding. We can’t wait to get started… and what a coincidence, it’s back to school shopping time. … to Interior Wayfinding and Branding Metro will also handle interior wayfinding and

Last winter the old Motel 6 / IHOP Tewksbury pylon sign came down in a bad storm. The damage was severe, and the sign needed to be replaced. The corporate office contacted Metro for a quick response to remove the massive wreckage and replace the sign. Meeting Permitting and Installation Challenges. The project presented several challenges beyond the need for quick action. The corporate office felt it was critical to replace the sign with a new one of the same size, given the visibility of the site to Interstate 495, yet the sign was old and did not conform to current zoning regulations. During the permitting process, Metro’s engineer reviewed the shop drawings and the site’s soil conditions and provided