Company of the Month: Poyant - building your brand, builds your business: Cost-effective signage solutions

New Bedford, MA Poyant is a third  generation, family-owned business, headquartered in New Bedford. For more than 75 years, Poyant has provided custom design and manufacturing services to businesses throughout the United States. Their team of signage professionals is behind some of the most recognized brands. They collaborate to bring their unique talents to each project and achieve extraordinary results. From custom signs to all-encompassing sign programs, they are committed to providing superior quality to all of their clients, on time and on budget.

Since the beginning, their company has brought new ideas and innovations to their customers. They continue to evolve with the use of electronic signage, LED technology, and custom fabrication to build a better quality sign more efficiently. They have implemented standard best practices throughout their company from design, project management, survey and permitting, estimating, fabrication, installation and service which allow them to provide their customers with a turn-key solution for all of their signage and branding needs.

Design.  Poyant’s award-winning team of designers bring innovation, passion, and expertise to every project. They collaborate with the project team which often times includes the customer, design firm, architect and general contractor to create effective signage that maximizes their brand image. Their designers use state-of-the-art computer technology to bring your ideas to life and approach each project as an opportunity to create great design with practical solutions, while having a keen sensibility for fabrication.

Project Management. Poyant’s team of project managers is devoted to providing their customers with quality service and support throughout their signage experience. The project managers specialize in making sure every project is on schedule through each phase of the design, permitting, fabrication, and installation process. Their project managers are the driving force behind each and every project. It is their responsibility to deliver every project on time, on budget and with superior quality.

Survey & Permits. Poyant’s survey and permits department ensure familiarity with your business location from field measurements to local codes that govern signage. Sign permits are an essential element in the process of developing your site branding program. Experienced developers and national retailers are generally aware of the impact of sign regulations on their project. The secret to success in maximizing your brand, is to begin the process early and work with an experienced branding company that understands the local codes and know who the key influencers are in the community. All cities and towns have their own code and local politics and becoming well versed with each jurisdiction’s nuances can be difficult and time consuming if you don’t have the local experience. Poyant’s experience with planning departments, variance boards, design commissions and procuring landlord approval will give you confidence in the timely and efficient completion of your project.

Project Budgets. Poyant’s estimating department is equipped with custom estimating software that is specially designed for the sign industry. They combine competitive pricing with excellent customer service for the best value on the market. Their team value engineers every project to ensure it stays on budget.

Fabrication. Their team of fabricators uses their expertise and craftsmanship to guarantee that every sign is built to the highest level of quality. The fabrication team is comprised of five specialized departments including architectural metal, CNC modeling, electrical, graphics, and product finishing. Their 50,000 s/f facility has the most recent innovations in computerization and manually operated fabrication equipment. With their knowledge, creativity, and state-of-the-art technology, they bring your vision to life.

Installation. Poyant’s fully-licensed, OSHA certified and insured team of installation experts have local and national experience. They work around the clock to ensure your project is installed on time and to your satisfaction. Their crews have the expertise to handle any interior or exterior installation project.

Service. Poyant has developed a cost-effective, efficient, and dependable national service program for the continental United States. Their dedicated national service coordinators provide their customers with a single point of contact, regardless of where service is required. They understand the importance of keeping your brand bright, no matter what time zone you are in. Their qualified and fully-licensed technicians have the experience to handle all of your service needs. Whether your sign requires repair or preventative maintenance, they are committed to providing excellent service in a timely manner. Their Brand Protection Program will keep your signage looking its best.

Poyant’s driving desire is to help their customers build their business through brand recognition. Building your brand is more than just getting your target market to choose you over the competition. It is about getting your prospects and customers to see you are the only one that provides a solution to their problem. A brand is not what you tell your customers about your company, it is what they perceive of it. It is what they say and feel about your company. With this in mind, your reputation is on the line every time they experience your brand.

Case Study. When John Hanley and the team at Jordan’s Furniture approached Poyant in 2014, they were looking for a dramatic way to leverage the high visibility and traffic exposure for their first Connecticut store in New Haven. The new site is located in the former New Haven Register building, a landmark at the junction of I-95 and I-91.

The New Haven store features 150,000 s/f of showroom space with more than 125 room scenes filled with living, dining and bedroom furnishings, and a Jordan’s Sleep Lab. But that’s not all. This Jordan’s location is home to the largest indoor ropes course in the world! The 20,000 s/f adventure area features IT Adventure Ropes Course, a computerized light and water display, sound system, Blaze Pizza restaurant, and Scoops It ice cream shop.

The signage had to be as electrifying as the excitement inside the building. The Poyant project team worked with the Jordan’s project team to create a sign package like no other.

The goals for the project included:

1. Create a new look that conveys an exciting shopping experience

2. Create a memorable and unique gateway to the store and landmark for the community

3. Maximize the visibility and traffic exposure for the new store.

With these goals in mind, the Jordan’s project team worked with Michael DelGrego – structural project engineer, Scoot Pellman – senior project manager & principal, Daniel Turner – electrical design engineer, and Stephen Jager – senior project architect from B.L. Companies, Inc. to build a remarkable gateway structure that is 64’ tall by 89’ wide. The structure is unique not only in size, but also in design. The middle of the structure is filled with chairs that create a very interesting backdrop.

The chair elements are made of aluminum and custom fabricated by a local company in Connecticut, and installed as part of the structure. The chair elements are enhanced with LED lighting recessed into the vertical I-Beams giving it a really dynamic look both day and night.

Poyant developed a branding package that would complement the new structure and brand the new location with a fresh and exciting design. 

The signage package included the fabrication and installation of two sets of 20’ tall Jordan’s channel letters, custom tenant sign cabinets, and a 12’ H x 20’ W electronic message center as part of the gateway structure. In addition, a set of 25’ tall Jordan’s channel letters on the south building elevation and a set of 37’ tall IT channel letters on the east building elevation.

The 37’ tall channel letters for the IT Adventure Ropes Course are the largest channel letters ever built by Poyant. As a result of the size, handling the letters in their shop was challenging and impacted every department within their company from design, estimating, fabrication, and installation. It was a huge collaborate effort across the board to successfully deliver a project of this size.

The channel letters also hold 30% more LEDs than typical signage like this would use, and is illuminated with a GE Power Max LED system which offers the brightest, most energy-efficient illumination available today.

The project was just completed in December of 2015, on-time and on-budget, and is considered a huge success by all involved. Next time you are on your way south towards New York, Poyant hopes you see this new landmark on I-95.

To learn more about developing cost-effective signage solutions that reflect your brand and values to your customers, Poyant welcomes you to contact them for more information. Visit their website at www.poyantsigns.com