Is It Time For a Change?
100,000+ Reasons for Choosing National Signs

It started out to be a typical vendor meeting. All
vendors invited to one big general meeting where we’d
listen to the vision and then have an opportunity to bid
on our specific fields. I decided to go along with my
sales associate because it was a big project for a client
we’d done work for in the past so we were especially
anxious to see how we could help.

Listening to the back and forth questions between all
the vendors and the client, my mind slipped back to
that cold winter day in January 1992 when I started
National Signs. I had experience, $200 and... an
attitude! Oh, the things I’ve learned since 1992!

Sitting here at this meeting, listening to our
competitors interact with the client, in this melancholy
state, I was almost rooting for them as the underdog in
this situation. But, then I started hearing things that
led me to understand that this was not a project for
the underdog. A project like this would most likely put
a smaller, less experienced company right out of
business.

In this moment, all those years of experience started
flooding into my mind and I began to understand what
the client needed. It wasn’t a sign company. No. That
was far from what this client needed. They needed a
partner that had the experience to go well beyond
simply manufacturing the sign. They needed logistics,
coordination, talent, financial capability, a track record
and a very deep commitment.

The client had done what was reasonable and natural.
They broke the project down into it’s basic components
and were talking with separate vendors to supply those
components. But what they needed was one solution.
One provider, with all the experience under one roof. A
partner who understood how to coordinate the efforts
of a large project like this. Without this type of
coordination, it was like trying to buy a car by going to
the various component manufacturers — a steering
wheel here, a set of brakes there, etc.

There were literally 100,000 actions steps that need to
be completed in a project of this magnitude. This was a
large, complex project that needed a certain expertise.
Expertise that we had. Expertise that can only come
from having done this before.

As we began to ask the right questions it was clear that
there was only one company in that meeting that could
handle a project of this nature.

Though not surprised, we were very grateful and
appreciative that we won the bid to do the entire
change out for the Memorial Hermann Hospital System.

We were grateful for the business because Memorial
Hermann is an outstanding client. We were also
grateful for the experience because it led us to
understand exactly how specialized our knowledge had
become and how our focus on expertise has really
shaped our company.

In 15 short years we’ve become the unquestioned
experts in specialized projects. From 18’ rotating
graphics to complex messaging signs to changing out
1,500 + signs in less than four months.

In 2006 alone we completed two of the largest
change-out projects of any sign company in Texas:

Memorial Hermann: New Logo / Signature Sign
Graphics Change-Out
Value of Project: $1.9 Million
Number of Signs Under Contract: 51
Number of Locations: 18
Time Allotted to Complete: 14 weeks

Phase I of this project included the removal of previous
signage and the fabrication/installation of exterior
signage bearing the new Memorial Hermann logo.
Having completed Phase I, National Signs was asked
back to perform further signage updates in Phase II.
Phase II includes the removal and the
fabrication/installation of updated pylon signs and LED
message centers with the new Memorial Hermann logo.
The scheduled completion for Phase II is
mid-December.

Both phases included a dedicated project manager, and
multiple trades to perform necessary work in
preparation for new signage. During the bidding time,
we put together a very detailed schedule outlining our
planned approach, and our method for making the
project successful. Nearing the end of Phase II, it is
very evident that this project was a huge turning point
for National Signs. We have created a lifelong business
partnership and we expect it to prosper for years to
come.

Hibernia Bank to Capital One
Value of Project: $2.7 Million
Number of Signs Under Contract: 1,500
Number of Locations: 74
Time Allotted to Complete: 16 weeks

This project encompassed locations in Houston and its
surrounding areas, extending east to Beaumont, north
to Dallas, and down to the Valley. The coordination of
replacing the existing signs with the new name and the
tight time-frame for unveiling the name was a
challenge we welcomed. Project was delivered on time
and within budget but we are most proud of the fact
that we continue to get repeat business from Capital
One as they expand their presence in Texas.

Other change-out projects we’ve done include:
• Southwest Bank of Texas to Amegy Bank
• Jillian’s to Dave & Buster’s
• Bank United to Washington Mutual
• Savings of America to Washington Mutual
• First Educators Credit Union to Smart Financial
• Fry’s Electronics
• Dave & Buster’s Time Square

Thinking back now, I can clearly see that this was and has always been my vision for National Signs. I wanted to create a special company... a company that went so far beyond a normal sign company that it would difficult to put us in the same category. This is what we’ve accomplished.

Four years ago we set out on an internal mission to define who we were. In so doing we came up with three words that would be our guiding principal... “raising the bar.” This is our internal mantra and one we take very seriously.