Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 44
THE 2017
STATE OF THE
INDUSTRY REPORT
TABLE 5: Profitability in Previous Year
AVERAGE PROFIT MARGIN
TABLE 7: Equipment Purchased in Previous Year
2014
2016
39.7%
27.8%
90
151
RESPONDENTS
TABLE 6: Expected Profit for Current Year
AVERAGE EXPECTED
2015
2017
27.2%
29.3%
31
149
RESPONDENTS
trade." Another wrote in "Donald Trump," which may or
may not have been tongue-in-cheek; we'll have to wait
and see.
SELLING ELECTRIC SIGNS
More than two out of every three respondents to answer
this question reported selling electric signs, including
electric signs bought wholesale (Table 10). However, 132
respondents skipped this question while 184 respondents
completed it. If we add 132 to the 58 who answered "no,"
we get 190 companies not selling electric signs and 126
that do, so perhaps it's more accurate to estimate that just
under 40% of all sign companies sell electric signs while
just over 60% do not.
Among the 118 companies that offered the percentage of
their total sales that comes from electric signs (Table 11),
the average was just over 38%. Here, the more electric signcentered companies taking the survey likely skewed this
average significantly above the median, with only 49 reporting an average above 38% and 69 reporting an average
below. More than 30% of the companies reporting sales
of electric signs stated that those sales comprise 10% or
less of total sales. In our 2015 survey of commercial shops,
slightly more than half sold electric signs for an average of
just under 18% of their total sales.
ELECTRIC SIGN TYPES AND ILLUMINATION
We received 125 responses to our question on the types
of electric signs companies sell (Table 12), with cabinet
signs offered by just under 93% of companies, followed
44
SIGNS OF THE TIMES
JULY 2017
2014
2016
CRANE/BUCKET
TRUCK
51.6%
17.4%
DIGITAL PRINTER
16.1%
31%
ROUTER
19.4%
12.5%
VINYL-CUTTING
PLOTTER
12.9%
19%
LAMINATOR
16.1%
19.6%
METAL-FORMING
22.6%
6%
SOFTWARE
54.8%
44%
NONE
-
22.8%
OTHER
0%
16.3%
RESPONDENTS
31
184
TABLE 8: Planned Equipment Investment
for Current Year
AVERAGE AMOUNT
TOTAL
RESPONDENTS
2015
2017
$163,516
$41,071
$5,232,500
$7,557,100
32
184
by channel letters (88.8%), electronic message centers
(67.2%) and freestanding main ID signs (64%). Fewer than
half but still a significant number offer outline lighting
(43.2%), backlit awnings (40%) and dynamic digital signage
(37.6%). Our 2015 survey of electric shops had channel
letters ahead of cabinet signs, with freestanding main ID
and EMCs following.
Among the 117 responses we received on the illumination
sources for their electric signs (Table 13), 115 - more
than 98% of companies - offer LEDs, and an average of
75% of their total electric signs are LED illuminated. No
other illumination source comes close, with fluorescent in
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Signs of the Times - July 2017
Signs of the Times - July 2017
Contents
From the Editor
St Update
At Large
Tech Review
Leds + Lighting
Vehicles + Vinyl
A Monumental Influence
The 2017 State of the Industry Report
Building Safer Signs
Strictly Commercial: Sign Magic
New Products
Advertising Index
Last Look
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - Intro
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - BB1
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - BB2
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - Signs of the Times - July 2017
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - BD_L
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - BD
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - Cover2
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 1
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - Contents
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 3
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 4
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 5
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 6
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 7
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - From the Editor
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 9
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - St Update
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 11
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 12
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 13
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 14
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 15
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 16
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 17
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - At Large
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 19
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 20
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 21
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - Tech Review
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 23
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - Leds + Lighting
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 25
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 26
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 27
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - Vehicles + Vinyl
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 29
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 30
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 31
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 32
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 33
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 34
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 35
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - A Monumental Influence
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 37
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 38
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 39
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 40
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 41
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - The 2017 State of the Industry Report
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 43
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 44
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 45
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 46
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 47
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 48
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 49
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - Building Safer Signs
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 51
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 52
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 53
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 54
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 55
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - Strictly Commercial: Sign Magic
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 57
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 58
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 59
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 60
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 61
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - New Products
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 63
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 64
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 65
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 66
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 67
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 68
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Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 71
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Signs of the Times - July 2017 - 94
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - Advertising Index
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - Last Look
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - Cover3
Signs of the Times - July 2017 - Cover4
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