The past year of 2020, while disruptive and challenging on numerous fronts, was productive and exciting for ImageFIRST™! Revenue was stable and steady with new sales bookings being very positive given the Q2 macro-economic dip. Great clients, creative signage projects, organizational grit, versatility and perseverance paved our way forward together.
Our team provided signage solutions for numerous high-profile and notable new construction and rebranding projects across the United States. Eight of our reseller customers spent over $100,000 with 2 of those in excess of $300,000. While we were not immune to the impact of Covid-19, all full-time employees remain in good health and we proactively managed temporary supply chain disruptions and met your demand in 2021.
There is no doubt the economy is changing right before our eyes along with our sign and graphics industry. We plan to stay consistent with our core values (creative, collaborative, loyal and honest). Our goal and objective includes maintaining marketplace emotional intelligence and continuously adapting to that growth and change. You, our clients of our vast products and services, continue to evolve and this challenge drives our focus every day.
People first – machines and processes learn but people lead. Our industry is loaded with the best technology, equipment and products possible but it’s taking care of our customers and our employees that give us a competitive advantage to excel.
Innovate! Now more than ever we must innovate or die. We cannot let the fear of the unknown stop us from innovating our processes, products, talent and opportunities!
Smart spending - spend our capital on long-term bold moves to adapt and grow strategically and regionally.
Honesty – Sticking to our core values, we must be honest with ourselves, customers, and stakeholders while planning and preparing to perform for our customers.
We see enhanced development and usage of LED lighting, 3D and digital printing technology, and bright prospects for design-build solutions that make the process easier for our clients. In addition, we feel that software and AI will develop tools that continue to push our products, equipment and service ability to higher levels.
We also see future growth and spending on infrastructure-related construction and renovation projects specifically in ’22 and ‘23. New capital projects should stay strong in healthcare, residential construction, and senior living markets. While a 9-to-12-month economic hangover may loom in certain industries, we see a likely increase in rebranding opportunities in late ’22 and ’23 due to pent up demand in the sector. This will present growth potential for reliable sign resellers and their network of trusted wholesale manufacturing partners. Our focus and strategy is to be visibly present and ready to take advantage of those future opportunities with our signage reseller partners.
In recent years, the use of LED lighting has revolutionized the signage industry. With their versatility, energy efficiency, and low maintenance requirements, LED retrofit modules and systems have become the go-to choices for upgrading neon and fluorescent lighting systems on signs.
Do we truly understand the difference between Architectural and Commercial signage? The old adage of “form usually follows function” has never been clearer when defining the need and function that a sign will provide.