Case Studies

21st Century Signs
Fast Lane Graphics

Consistency Keeps Customers Coming Back
R Tape Case Study: 21st Century Signs

No one is against progress. Brad Engel, production manager for 21st Century Signs in Williamsport, PA, knows that. Change can be for the better. He also knows that customer expectations can be shattered when things change too much. Like when a favorite eatery changes its signature dish for the sake of lower prices, the risk of alienating long-time and satisfied customers is great.

That’s the corporate philosophy under which 21st Century Signs operates. When Mr. Engel finds a technology that works to the advantage of his company and his customers, he sticks with it, even if competitive products boast of additional cost- and time-efficiencies. To Mr. Engel, it’s the quality that really counts.

Growing

21st Century Signs was founded in 1997 and has since become a premier supplier of wholesale signage nationwide.

An expansion project three years ago saw the facility grow to three times its former size to accommodate larger signage products. Mr. Engel is proud to say that 21st Century Signs uses an effective combination of cutting-edge technology, high quality materials and skilled craftsmen to produce some of the finest signage available today.

From classic hand-crafted dimensional signs and large digital prints, to custom fabricated architectural signage and complete themed environments, 21st Century Signs provides the products that clients need to be competitive and successful.

Consistency Brings in New Customers

The company does very little advertising. 21st Century Signs depends mostly on good word of mouth to bring in new customers. The company has a good record with its customers, and that keeps them coming back; there’s a high percentage of repeat business with 21st Century.

Using the right products is part of that focus, such as R Tape’s Conform® Series with RLA® (Release Liner Adhesion). Mr. Engel said that Conform provides a greater dollar value than any competitive tape product. The advanced-technology application tape lays flat to exposed release liners around printed die-cut decals, offering superb adhesion, eliminating the need for heat and vacuum processes, and allowing graphics to be rolled or stacked without concern of application wrinkling, tunneling or curling. Additionally, it is smooth, so that graphics won’t dog ear and stick together.

“Conform is always a big help. Certain jobs are harder to do than others, and Conform makes it easier to transfer vinyl from its carrier to the substrate of application,” Mr. Engel said. “Conform is also suitable for paint shielding purposes, as well, which aids in protection of over-sprayed paint. Projects become more labor intensive if we don’t use Conform, creating longer lead times, plus there’s always that risk of losing the graphic we produce. R Tape always gives us that barrier of protection, making it easier to reposition things.”

Conform has a longer shelf life than comparable products and behaves the same way each and every time it is used, leading to more consistent results and fewer remakes on most projects.

“We have had problems with other materials. The adhesion became an issue. Sometimes temperature has an effect on certain materials. R Tape has a good shelf life and doesn’t stick around too often,” Mr. Engel said. “The best way for our customers to save money is for us to continue to use Conform.”

So while memorable meals at preferred eateries may come and go, Mr. Engel prefers for his business to stick with what works, as far as technology is concerned. It is, one might say, a healthy, nutritious business plan that helps 21st Century Signs continue to grow.

Treating Every Customer like a Friend
R Tape Case Study: Fastlane Graphics
Most of us have a friend or two that we know we can depend on. Someone who, in times of need, can be counted on to lend a helping hand, offer good advice, or hang around just to make sure everything is a-o-k.

Having a friend to help with personal issues is one thing. Having a true friend in the business world is quite another.

Chuck Chapman, the owner and self-described jack-of-all-trades at Fastlane Graphics of Greenville, South Carolina (USA), is just that kind of friend to all his customers. While his company’s specialty is vinyl lettering, it is customer service, Chapman said, that makes him unique in the business world.

“I don't do a lot of advertising. We have a huge repeat business and get lots of referrals. That's advertising you can't buy,” Chapman said. “Our philosophy is to give our customers the absolute best value for their money. We’re not always the cheapest or the fastest, and that’s because we go the extra mile—but we do provide the highest quality product at a reasonable price and as quick a turnaround as possible.”

That’s what keeps his customers coming back—customers that range from huge corporations that place large orders on a regular basis, to small businesses with less than 100 employees that come to Fastlane for everything from signs, vinyl lettering, logo design and business cards to refrigerator magnets, bumper stickers, T-shirts and sweatshirts.

“We try to be a one-stop shop,” said Chapman, who works hard to avoid turning down any customer request. “We also do quite a bit for churches, schools and real estate business, as well as people who just walk in and needing a ‘Happy Birthday’ banner.”

Fastlane Graphics has been in business since 1993. In addition to its print activities, the company also offers advertising consultation to small business clients as a way of networking its customer base whenever possible. That’s another way in which Chapman helps his customers succeed, while simultaneously adding another value service of his own.

Getting the Job Done Right

To the untrained eye, sign-making may seem like a relatively simple proposition. That couldn’t be further from the truth. An effective sign requires quite a bit of thought, and clients who fail to understand or abide by that often regret it down the line. According to Chapman, the old adage is true: you get what you pay for.

“It seems like anyone with a PC thinks they can tout themselves as a sign maker. A mind-set like that merely waters down the industry as a whole. We’ve seen lots of jobs that our customers had first produced somewhere else in order to save money, that ended up being poor quality jobs that they hated,” Chapman said. “Then they come to us to redo them. It hurts to know that I sometimes lose business to these other sub-quality places, but I end up getting a lot of business back anyway, and then those customers become my loyal customers.”

Getting the job done right is partially due to FastLane’s desire to use the latest technology. Chapman uses the advanced R Tape’s Conform® Series with RLA® (Release Liner Adhesion). The application tape lays flat to expose release liners around printed die-cut decals, offering superb adhesion, eliminating the need for heat and vacuum processes, and allowing graphics to be rolled or stacked without concern of application wrinkling, tunneling or curling. Additionally, it is smooth, not sticky, avoiding dog-eared and problematic graphics.

Chapman said he is very pleased with R Tape’s Conform Series with RLA and that there is no need to use anything else.

“A distributor recommended R Tape. On the few occasions I've used anything else, I've regretted it. If something works well for me, I stick with it,” Chapman said. “I've tried some other tapes but prefer R Tape's dependability and consistency. It doesn't tear as easily as some, and its good adhesion makes the job go faster. I tried a clear tape for a regular RTA customer once. They asked me to go back to the R Tape.”

Business has been good for Chapman. He said his gross receipts and profits have increased every year for the last 14 years in a row. As long as he maintains his devotion to customer service—which he has every intention of doing—and as long as he has access to the best sign-making technologies, he knows that upward trend will continue. The signs are everywhere.