Guest post by Jon Davis

The Cushing team has served the Chicagoland business community since 1929. With humble beginnings supporting AEC companies with blueprints, our customer needs continue to evolve as we approach one hundred years. The bulk of our customer base consists of real estate developers and construction firms who shape the Windy City skyline with commercial and residential projects, among a variety of interior designers, architects, and creatives who work in the built space.

All public buildings need to meet the guidelines outlined in the Americans with Disabilities Act and more companies are focusing on making sure that spaces are accessible and inviting for those who need it. Increasingly, marketing teams want to know if it is possible to inject personality into signage while staying compliant. How could we scale production of custom ADA signage to keep up with the creativity of our customers?

Brand Demand
Cookie cutter ADA signs simply do not make the cut. Generic signage, while serving its purpose for the visually impaired, usually follows a very basic design and color scheme. Although required by federal law, we encourage brands to look beyond just the function, and make this type of signage a part of your brand voice by injecting a little personality.

It was easy for us to choose Vision Engraving & Routing Systems, known for its reputation of precise engraving and routing on a variety of materials. With customizable options on tool modules, bed size, and software built to make compliancy rules second nature, we’ve quickly come to wonder how we lived without it.

Keep it at Home
While we have capabilities to produce signage within our shop, the infrastructure was not quite there to meet the rapidly growing demand for dimensional signage. With the uptick in custom ADA requests, the sign, pun intended, indicated it was time to make an investment. Vision’s equipment is the first step to scale production, meet the turnaround times customers need, and remove outsourcing from our process.

Flex Creative Muscles
Another reason we chose Vision is the creative opportunities it presents to clients, on behalf of our in-house graphic design division, Sepia Studio. Now that we can design AND fabricate custom ADA signs at scale, ideation is limitless. For savvy customers, who want to creatively incorporate their brand into compliant signs, there are several ways to layer materials, add custom finishes, and breathe a little life into a necessity.

Core Business
With a firm commitment to grow this business segment, we took the time to vet a host of vendors. Moving forward with Vision was the right decision to expand our horizons. With a focus on customer growth, expert execution, and helping clients exceed their installation goals, the Cushing team plans to create repeatable opportunities and a competitive edge in the signage marketplace

About the Author
Jon Davis is the Marketing Manager at Cushing, an award-winning digital & commercial printing service located in Chicago, Illinois.