The Sign Authority, in Wheaton, IL created this sign for Brook Electrictrical Supply in Chicago. This sign was constructed with aluminum backer panels and push through acrylic to create a back-lit halo lighting effect on the sign. These custom signs were a great solution for Brook Electric because of their location in the city. Placing an illuminated electric sign on the facade of the building can be very expensive, especially in the City of Chicago. Permit fees can be an outrageous expense in Chicago. Placing these signs on the inside of the windows in this high traffic area, solved the problem of having to pull permits.
Take a look at this sign from the street. This was a great solution, right? Halsted in Chicago is a very busy street with many passersby. This sign lights up beautifully at night and is still very visible during the day. Hanging a sign in your window in a high traffic area is a must. The primary function of a sign is to provide identification for a business. By helping consumers recognize that they have arrived at their intended destination or by triggering an impulse to make a purchase, signs hep facilitate consumer transactions that allow businesses to be successful. Successful businesses make for vital local economies and a stable tax base.
According to The National Sign Association, healthy economies are dependent of the success of retail and service businesses, and that success is to some degree attributable to the advertising function of on-premise signs. In the view of sign makers, in communities where a healthy local economy is a primary goal, sign codes that prohibit or subordinate the advertising functions of a sign may undermine the ability of businesses to reach customers, to compete effectively, or to maximize their potential. Some independent merchants believe that restrictive sign codes may be a contributing factor in providing an advantage to national franchises and chains over locally owned independent proprietors.
We are not arguing that there should not be sign codes in place. Sign codes are a good thing, and provide standards for sign companies to comply with. They keep the public safe and protect consumers from poor and inadequate work done by sign companies that do not hold the proper certification to fabricate and install electric signs. The Sign Authority complies with all the sign code regulations and uses only UL certified technicians to fabricate the electric signage. What we are saying is that sometimes city codes and regulations can be prohibitive and expensive. There are ways to “get around” pulling permits if the sign is installed on the inside of the window of the building.
Need a free consultation? Give us a call today at 630-462-9850 or visit our website at www.thesignauthority.com to see some of the other great work we have done.
