Showing category "More about Us" (Show all posts)
 Out with the old - a 4" thick sandblasted panel (heavy load!)...
..and in with the new Feed Store signs  So for 20 years, I have calculated delivery dates by estimating how long it would take me to get through the stack of projects in Production. For about 19 years I have thought that a new scheduling approach would be good, and finally, it is! Last week was the first week of working off of the master schedule, which sets specific days and time frames for completing work, and allows specific d... Continue reading ...
 With the second coat of lettering being painted today, the steel frame complete this week, we should have this sign on the wall by Friday! Paint a set of letters. Second coat, on the home stretch, should be on the wall this week. Spring has sprung, and the sign market is hopping. Can't wait for the truck to deliver on Thursday (our small town gets one delivery a week of sign supplies), so I'm headed to Denver today on a supply run, and back for soccer late this afternoon, then back to work af... Continue reading ...
Nothing is simple. Take for instance when someone calls up and asks: "How much for a sign with our name on it that is about 20" wide?"That generally translates into 2 hours of discussion through multiple phone calls and emails, and a budget of $50. No disrespect intended to potential house name customers, but we just can't make a sign for $50 that will be outdoor durable, look exactly the way you imagine it, consult for a couple of hours and meet your budget constraints.A couple of weeks ago a... Continue reading ...
 The wind picked up, so this inside school bus job was well timed (shorts on for warm weather outside).We don't have cable or satellite TV... haven't since Trevor was a wee lad, about 16 years ago... so we get a weather forecast if we go out looking for it, but generally start the day with a look outside to see what we'll be doing that day- work wise. There's always plenty to do inside and outside, but I'm more careful about planning things outside since so many aspects are temperature sensitiv... Continue reading ...
Ethan has a project to report on his latest read for language arts at the middle school, and he has chosen the 'News Report' project. He'll report on a few key points from the Harry Potter book he just completed. We could take a shot with the beautiful evergreen trees in the back yard, or go across the street and use the Continental Divide as a backdrop- or even paint a scene from the book as a backdrop and then edit in MovieMaker... but wait! A little light comes on that reminds us that our fr... Continue reading ...
Posted by Mark I on Monday, February 27, 2012,
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More about Us
.. for a day- and truthfully, it was only a carnival, and to be completely honest I didn't have to do any acts in front of people and nothing involving fire... All right, with complete transparency I admit that I merely sold cotton candy at the Elementary School carnival yesterday.  Ready
for action before the doors opened- this was a tough photo to take with
the backlighting. In real life, the lights and color (and smell) of the
floss machine drew folks in light moths to a floodlight. The di... Continue reading ...
Posted by Mark I on Friday, February 10, 2012,
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 I felt badly posting the picture of the house sign with LIGHT BLUE background! Of course, I knew what it would look like when it was done, but that information was securely in my head- until now. The sign is taking shape and the paint details are going to make it all better, don't worry Coopers! The sand-like substance by the numerals at the top is actually glass beads that will provide some reflectivity at night. It will be a very cool sign, and we're within about 2 wash coats of paint from d... Continue reading ...
Posted by Mark I on Thursday, February 9, 2012,
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 ..that's what a day here is like (and I love that). As I speak there are 4 house signs and a a candy floss stand on the drying rack, 5 (10' tall) reindeer and a sleigh on the driveway, and a post begging to be transformed into a tree waiting in the workshop downstairs.   I failed to mention that it's time to get the taxes in and we're working on a new Smokey Bear Fire Danger sign proposal for review by the Forest Service. Sprinkle in about a dozen small items, and you're up to speed. No time for b... Continue reading ...
A couple of years ago, a local restauranteur approached me to erect a new sign for his (new) business. His assertion was that he could provide me an opportunity to promote my business by placing a sign above his door. He assured me that he would talk it up and tell everyone who made his sign. There was a catch... He wanted to trade: I create a $2,000 sign and install it, and in return he would 'give me' the exposure. -- Sometimes a response escapes me, and it sure did that day- I just had to s... Continue reading ...
..back to some cool signs! I should write about 'slow' stretches of our schedule more often. Three days after I posted the last entry about what I do when it's slow, the slow ended. It's really a double edged sword- so many days I say I'd love to have a week or two of no work scheduled, to get some of my own projects completed... Then the slow week arrives and I'm up at night wondering what the next day will hold- and how the bank account will look as a result, and you know what I mean if you o... Continue reading ...
Posted by Mark I on Tuesday, December 27, 2011,
In :
More about Us
It always gets a little slow as the new year rolls into our tourist town, with many business owners opting to close until spring, or at least modify their schedule to coincide with the weekend visitors. With those schedule changes comes an unfortunate lull in many businesses owners self investment strategies. Some visionary business people recognize the opportunity to get our full attention in the off-season without having to compete with their peers that put off new signs until 'the season' ... Continue reading ...
Signs of Life, Inc Estes Park, Colorado (970) 586-6995
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... meet the signmaker
| Mark Igel |
| Estes Park, Colorado |
It all started in 1992, I was working full time as a Paramedic and made a few signs on the side. The word got out, so I made a few more... People will pay me to make signs? I was in! This business is an exciting creative outlet that has allowed me to use cutting edge technology and release the ideas from inside my head- while offering effective signs to our customers.
Today alongside my wife Kelly, we're doing our best to raise 7 children from 7-16 years old. I continue to volunteer with the Fire Department, and enjoy Scouts with all 4 sons.
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