ARCHIVE: Category Archive for: Original Posts

Exterior Signage for All Seasons

Here in New England, we live with the extremes: from the cold and wind of Nor’easters to the heat and glaring sun of the summer These weather extremes are an excellent reason why awnings and enclosures can be so valuable: reduce your energy costs and save you money. When calculating the return on investment for awnings or enclosures though, in addition to this reduction in costs, there is an even bigger benefit: they increase your revenue by increasing your selling space. Read on to learn how. Enclosures Grow Revenue and Brand All Year We help many businesses, such as hotels, restaurants and stores, by creating enclosures that help provide weatherproofing to their outdoor areas. The enclosures can aid in increasing

It is always exciting to work on and around Boston’s infrastructure, so when the opportunity to partner with Skansa Group for the installation of wayfinding and ADA signs came about for the South Boston Waterfront Transportation Center, we grabbed it with both hands. Considering our experience in signage projects in urban centers (see Signs and the Downtown Experience) as well as our expertise in fabrication, installation, service and repair of signs, we were a natural choice for Skansa and the union’s installation team. Staying true to our reputation, we provided the best possible service and supervision to ensure the successful completion of the project that added more than 600 wayfinding and ADA signs to the South Boston Waterfront. Following is

What is the best way to establish a significant and differentiated presence for your business in the market, one that attracts and retains customers? A big part of it is branding. An effective marketing strategy includes branding and reflects your business’ identity and values. And one of the best ways to establish your brand’s identity is through signage, especially exterior signage. A useful way to further your marketing engagement, signage will help you to convey your business message better and reach a bigger audience. Signage can play a vital role in creating awareness about your business and brand and help you reach customers, but this will happen only if you choose the right sign for your business. First impressions count,

Last summer, the owners of Haverhill Valley Forum expressed interest in working with Metro to dedicate their arena in the memory of Paul Gilmartin. We were excited and honored for the opportunity to work on the project. The challenge was that the perfect location on the face of the building was all glass windows and the sign they wanted to have would feature illuminated channel letters. Our sales, design project management and engineering team worked in collaboration with the Forum’s electrician to create the solution to make it happen. Sign Designed to Stand Out (by blending in) The letters were mounted to a raceway that was painted to blend into the tinted windows. We then conducted a technical survey that

Can you see me now? Verizon Wireless, and many of its authorized dealers, depend on Metro Sign & Awning to see that their signage represents the company well on many sites. For some time now, Metro Sign & Awning has been an Authorized sign manufacturer for Verizon Wireless. And while the company has a comprehensive, 200-plus-page book of branding standards, there’s a surprisingly large “gray area” and much needed flexibility built into the process of design review. Accurate Information is Key to Best Signage Design, Installation Because every business location is unique, regardless of how many branding guidelines there are, there must be some room for interpretation. When a Verizon authorized dealer contacts us about updating or installing new signage,

What does a sign cost? Compared to what? A Superbowl commercial spot? Promotional giveaways? Couponing? A sign works for you and your business 24/7. The impression your sign makes is a strong and lasting one. And signage can benefit your business in surprising ways. Familiar Signs Are Good, Overlooked Signs Are Not Individual drivers and pedestrians may encounter your sign 10-20 times a week. Seeing a sign regularly makes people become comfortable with your sign (and your business). They may even think of it as a neighbor. Signs can generate word of mouth and referral business simply because people feel comfortable with what is familiar to them. On the other hand, you don’t want your sign to become “part of the

We’ll be celebrating our nation’s birthday next week, and we hope our customers and friends will be doing the same. A bit of housekeeping: our offices in both Tewksbury and Keene will be closed on July 3 and July 4. Then it’s back to business on Wednesday! How Will You Celebrate the 4th in Boston? There are so many highly-touted July 4th celebrations in Boston and throughout New England, it’s hard to get to all the places you want to go! BostonUSA.com and Boston Discovery Guide list many, with some Fourth of July events in the Boston area starting tomorrow. Of course we won’t just be taking a couple of days off and celebrating the whole time. (Although “fun” and “relaxation” play pretty large parts

So it’s summer, and your customers want to sit in the shade. Remember January? We were excited to install a vestibule at the South Boston (Berkely Street) Area4 restaurant. The smart and energy-efficient enclosure was welcome, as it protected patrons from the Arctic blast that blew in each time the main door was open. Awnings and enclosures may not be top-of-mind when you think about exterior signage, but few investments in your business have such an obvious pay-back period. Particularly in the New England climate, exterior structures can pay off quickly, thanks to extending your hours into the evening, adding additional seating, and keeping your customers happy and comfortable, protected from the elements. Custom-designed, high-quality awnings provide additional patio seating for restaurants and encourage

We’re very excited about YOTEL Boston’s Grand Opening! The forward-thinking micro hotel offers a “smart, flexible space that suites individual needs.” It’s a business model we love: providing smart and flexible designs that are tailored to meet individual needs is what we strive to do every day. Signage must meet the needs of a business, while being flexible and innovative in order to shine and celebrate the uniqueness of each commercial enterprise. Members of the Metro Sign & Awning team have been working closely with the city of Boston and YOTEL developer Boston Global Investors (BGI) for more than a year to make sure the signage – inside and out – would be as smart, bold, and bright as the

New owner of full-service salon sees vibrant results with new logo, new sign When Infinity Hair, a full-service salon and barbershop, was purchased, the new owner needed a new logo and sign. Metro Sign and Awning helped create a bold new look for the business. The owner had several ideas. Metro’s Keene designer took those ideas and developed several concepts as a guide to steer the general direction of the sign. “Once we had picked a basic concept, (designer Kris Arnold) dove in deeper and created a more detailed rendition,” explained Patrick Grizzard, Sales Manager. ‘The result was a stunning vinyl sign using the colors of the rainbow in an intertwined infinity sign.” The Advantages of Vinyl Graphics Grizzard is