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(November 2009) posted on Thu Nov 19, 2009

Zebra Visuals’ Paul Luszcz adapts his portfolio to accommodate a changing market.

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By Steve Aust

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It’s easy to perceive that signmakers who ply their trade in tourist-friendly areas, where imaginative entrepreneurs ostensibly keep a fabricator busy with unique projects and liberal budgets, operate under idyllic conditions. When the U.S. economy resided in high cotton approximately a decade ago, and many families possessed the disposable income to frequent getaway destinations, that may have been the case. However, as 401(k) portfolios dwindle and the unemployed ranks swell, many small businesses in such areas have shuttered, and those that survive are increasingly fixated on a price point for their signage.

Paul Luszcz, founder of Plymouth, MA-based Zebra Visuals, has weathered the turbulent times by complementing 3-D, commercial signs with digital graphics and outsourcing much of his work to focus on what he does best. And, Luszcz adheres closely to the maxim, “Good design sells signs.”

Finding his passion
After graduating with an industrial-design degree, he got a job as a store planner for a large, home-improvement center chain. Eventually, Luszcz earned a promotion to director of store planning. Part of his job entailed overseeing the company’s in-house signshop, which Luszcz estimated produced approximately $2 million worth of work annually. His supervision of the shop’s production inspired a career change.

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“Looking back, I’m not sure if maintaining our own in-house shop was the most efficient use of our resources,” Luszcz said. “But, it gave me a real education about signage. I realized the one of the parts of my job I enjoyed most was developing prototypes for the store’s signage. I realized signmaking could be a fruitful career move.”

In 1993, Luszcz purchased the shop from the company and founded Zebra Visuals. At the time, the shop’s equipment comprised screenprinting and woodworking equipment, as well as a Gerber IV-B plotter. Implementing his experience, much of Zebra’s early work entailed prototype design for regional retail chains.

Soon, Luszcz updated the shop’s equipment and bought an EDGE® thermal-transfer printer and an Encad large-format printer. In the late ‘90s, Zebra gradually transitioned the bulk of its work from store interiors to exhibit and tradeshow graphics. However, the 9/11 tragedy and the subsequent economic struggles forced another reinvention.