MODESTO — Rarely is a business’s work displayed so prominently, but that’s how it is for United Sign Systems. From WalMart to Prime Shine car washes to the State Theatre, the Modesto company’s mark is all over the region.
One of United Signs’ biggest new projects, however, is out of town. Walnut Creek paid United Sign Systems $160,000 to produce and install seven welcome signs to the downtown area to celebrate the city’s centennial.
“We could not have asked for a better showcase for our product in the East Bay,” said Marco A. Ospina, the account executive from United Sign Systems in charge of the Gateway Monument project.
The project involved designers and craftsmen from throughout the state and coordinated by United Sign. The signs were designed by Hunt Design in Pasadena. They feature a walnut tree in purple floating on a gold background.
The signs themselves are made out of aluminum and mounted on a stone base. The letters and images of walnut trees were cut out using a waterjet. The signs are adorned with piping topped with cast metal finials, which were fabricated by California Casting in Pittsburgh and finished by craftsman Tom Langenhorst of Manteca.
“He turned them on a lathe for us. He made those things look wonderful,” said United Sign Systems project manager David Davies.
Typically Davies would have spend much of his time getting permits and negotiating variances on city ordinances. However, this was a city project.
“They waved their wand and we had all the permits we needed,” Davis said.
The signs were installed this spring and it didn’t take long for one to be damage in a car accident. Davis said that was when United Sign System’s customer service was able to prove itself.
“We’re already out there having people taking that footing out today, putting the new one in,” Davis said. “(Customer service) is big. All a salesman has is, ‘my company can perform for you.’ And so you’ve got to back that up.”
This wasn’t the first government project for United Sign Systems. It handled much of the new signage for Sacramento International Airport’s Terminal B expansion. The project took about three years from design to installation and finished in August 2012. The airport signs you see between the parking garage to the security gate in Terminal B were made and installed by United Sign. It was a project that included 1,215 individual signs and brought in $2.5 million to the company.
To see what the future of signage is like, take a trip over to the State Theatre at 1307 J St. in downtown Modesto. United Sign Systems recently installed two LED displays on the theater’s new marquee, which allows not just words but pictures to be displayed.
“The visuals are dazzling on the new display, versus the old one that, at 10 years old, was considered archaic,” said State Theatre general manager Sue Richardson. “The new LED is capable of showing videos, but it is our understanding that city ordinances don’t allow it.”
Davis likened the new message boards to big screen TVs and said changing the messages is much easier for employees.
“Instead of having the changeable copy where you go up there and put up ‘Now Playing,’ they just type it on the computer and you can show clips from the movie or whatever you want,” Davis said.
United Sign System is a full-service sign company with 40 employees. It has three designers on staff as well as fabricators and installers.
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