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(March 2006) posted on Tue Feb 28, 2006

Credits and debits

By George Doll

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For Vermont Sign, maintenance preceded installations and electrical-display production. This occurred because our first field project was relamping and updating Kentucky Fried Chicken faces in northwestern Vermont. From there, the ballast and neon service followed in rapid succession.

Being a full-service sign operation proved to be a boon. When installations were slow, or handcarved sign orders fell, another aspect of our business would surge. So it was with field service (or maintenance).

The benefits of field service

Assuming you're ready to be a full-service signshop (that is, you have state electrical licenses, a crane for installation, liability insurance and qualified installation manpower), field service becomes a nice portion of the sign trade.

The only additional equipment or supplies needed to rev up a field-service department are extra transformers, ballasts, sockets and sundry components that may be required. (Note: Another big asset has been ST's "Services Directory," where we've run a listing since the early '70s.)

Vehicles: Field-service work allows for more targeted (smaller and more economical) trucks. Many of us have already pondered using a large crane -- 50-gal. diesel tanks cost a fortune to fill.

Seldom did we need our big trucks to service displays. Generally, we could accomplish a field-service call with a small crane, aerial ladder or, in many cases, a pickup-type vehicle with ladder racks and tool compartments. The latter is all that's usually required for most enclosed mall work.

Stock: Here are some issues we learned the hard way. Maybe our solutions will work for you.

When we had crews handling only field-service calls, we stocked our trucks to the hilt. We loaded the toolboxes and, under the seat of the cabs, we put every possible transformer and component. This wasn't a great outlay of resources, but, on the other hand, it wasn't cheap.

At the time, we were in northern Vermont. We filled the winter months with sign maintenance and faced short, dark days and extreme cold; we were always fumbling around cargo boxes with gloves, trying to find some particular widget. Halfway through the winter, if not sooner, we would have crushed Ross adapters, broken off HV hubs from salt-distressed boxes of brand-new trannies, and discovered many new PK receptacles looked like they had been around during the French and Indian War.