Signs of the Times - February 2014 - (Page 8)

S T U P D AT E By Steve Aust Letter Regarding the "The Moving Message: Who Provides What To Whom, Part 2" column, D3 LED, LLC (D3, Dynamic Digital Displays) has another take on what it means to be "American-made." D3 is a U.S. company, founded, and still privately and wholly owned, by three partners - entrepreneurs whose prior experience in the LED display marketplace spans a collective 50 years and, when combined with the senior engineering team, 100+ years. Yes, the owners felt they could build a "better mousetrap" on their own and, with American ingenuity and gumption, no money in their pockets, and only their reputation to rely on, they proved it. Nine years later, D3 is still growing, leading the way with pioneering LED display and control-system technology. D3 is "American-made" - 1) D3 proudly takes design ownership of its product line - hardware, circuitry and software, all designed and engineered by its U.S. employees; 2) D3's U.S. operations team globally sources parts, many of which are "Americanmade", to meet stringent product specifications, and it wisely maintains flexibility with vendors to ensure best-in-class components; 3) D3's 80,000-sq.-ft. manufacturing, assembly and quality-control facility is located in northern California; 4) D3's dual-corporate headquarters are in the U.S., both New York and California, not an overseas company's satellite office or answering service; 5) D3's turnkey solutions and services offerings mean we work with our customers from project ideation through post-sales support. We invite the readers to visit our website (www. d3led.com) to see some of the amazing American-made LED technology we have deployed in the marketplace. In fact, when ST has reported on Times Square spectaculars, D3 signs have been included six times in the past five years. The column falsely classified D3 as a "reseller." It Steve Aust is ST's Senior Associate Editor. A member of its editorial staff since 2000, his work emphasizes vinyl graphics, architectural and environmental graphics, and 3-D signage. also referenced display providers, producers, manufacturers, assemblers and resellers without proper explanation and key definitions within these categories. False claims are made daily in the LED industry, and D3 works overtime to dispel these claims. Repeatedly, we find ourselves explaining fact vs. fiction in the industry for our customers, and distinguishing our company's products from those who misrepresent theirs. Not surprisingly, we often see our installations and technical product details on others' websites and marketing collateral. I guess we will take that as a compliment. - George Pappas, Owner and Managing Partner Dynamic Digital Display (D3), NYC Ed. Note: D3's (Dynamic Digital Displays) representation of American-made is valid, and we agree with its point of view. A company that designs its own products, and has some minimal processes handled overseas under supervision, is clearly distinct from a company that purchases off-the-shelf products and rebrands them. When we last addressed this topic on this page, we spoke to the innumerable shades of off-white and gray, and referenced the automobile industry as an example of the absolute murkiness of the term "American-made". While percentages can be argued relative to how much outsourcing or foreign-made parts determine where a company's product is made, we believe there is a tipping point of reason that says a product, as black and white as you can get these days with our global economy, is "American-made". Based on the evidence presented, D3 should not have been identified as a reseller. Again, ST apologizes for failing to distinguish true resellers from companies who justifiably can identify their products as American-made. Quiksilver's Times Square Flagship Store incorporates multiple LED display resolutions on more than 100 individual surfaces, which all run synchronously. The project was a collaboration between D3 LED and TDI Signs. 8 SIGNS OF THE TIMES February 2014 http://www.d3led.com http://www.d3led.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Signs of the Times - February 2014

Signs of the Times - February 2014
Contents
ST Update
Technology Update
Welcome to the 21st Century
Vinyl Apps
Strictly Electric
LED Update
Software Update
Technology Review: Cyrious online
Technology Review: Sign and Printmakers Guild
Sign Museum News
New Products
Walls of Fame
A Designer’s View of Health-care Signage
Health-care Signage: Care Required
Health-care Signage Trends
Estimating Software
Dynamic Digital Signage Made Simple, Part 2
Industry News
Advertising index
Editorially speaking

Signs of the Times - February 2014