Technology Brought Banner Opportunity to Sign Maker

Call it a sign of the times.

When Ken McNicol opened his computer-generated sign business in the mid-’80s, he was considered a pioneer in the field. Since then, computer-generated signs have all but eliminated the handmade-sign artist.

“It was sort of cutting edge at the time, a new concept long before desktop publishing,” recalls McNicol, 60, of his early days in the business. “As technology has come along, we’ve come along with technology.”

A former race car driver, career Air Force officer and short-haul trucker, McNicol was seeking a new venture when he attended a job fair in 1986. For about $30,000, he bought a business opportunity from now-defunct Banacom Instant Signs. The price included an old Epson computer, a behemoth and clattery printer, a laminator, some start-up supplies and two weeks of training.

Beginning with laminated paper banners, McNicol soon realized he needed to do more to stay in business. He credits much of his success to Gerber Scientific Products, which revolutionized the industry by developing a computer-driven plotter for cutting letters on vinyl.

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He also credits his storefront showroom, figuring that doing business where people could watch signs being created enhanced the credibility of his products. Today, McNicol’s 1,600-square-foot Sign Design on Beach Boulevard in Westminster displays hundreds of signs in all shapes and sizes. Rolls of brightly colored vinyl are stacked behind the counter, where the staff works and waits on customers.

The business uses a Dell 486 computer with Windows-based Gerber Graphix Advantage software. (McNicol is in the process of upgrading to a Pentium.) His digital printer is state-of-the-art, producing signs that are guaranteed to last seven years outdoors. Other equipment includes a router that engraves and cuts letters and images on plastic and metal, and a plotter to cut vinyl.

McNicol employs from five to seven people, as needed. Pay starts from $7.50 to $12 an hour; seasoned workers make $15 to $18. Employees must be computer literate, and an eye for composition helps. But no sign experience is required. In fact, McNicol prefers to train.

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Notes Emerson Schwartzkopf, technical editor for Broomfield, Colo.-based Sign Business, a leading trade magazine, “You don’t have to be so much of an artist . . . as to be able to manipulate images.” He adds that technology has increased competition.

Annual revenue in a company of McNicol’s size and diversity--his client base of 3,000 to 4,000 includes Ralphs Grocery, UPS, Delta Airlines and McDonald’s--ranges from $350,000 to $600,000.

One strategy that helped McNicol in the beginning was founding a nonprofit cooperative with 20 like-minded professionals. He recommends that would-be business owners consider buying an existing store with a successful customer base or a franchise rather than starting from scratch.

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Susan McRae is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles. She can be reached at sumac1@earthlink.net.

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AT A GLANCE

* Name: Ken McNicol

* Company: Sign Design, Westminster

* Age: 60

* Home: Lake Forest

* Past employment: Air Force major for 20 years, including two tours of duty in Vietnam; race car driver and owner of race car manufacturing company; owner, short-haul trucking firm